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THE SANTA MARIA— 1492 

{From a Braxvtng bij CJlumhus.) 



THE SONG OF 

AMERICA ^- COLUMBUS 

OR 

THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 



AND DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGES AND 

CAREER OF COLUMBUS AND THE PRECURSORS OF 

HIS GREAT DISCOVERY, WITH THE SEQUEL 

AS SEEN IN THE UNITED STATES, 



IN CELEBRATION OF THE FOUR-HUNDREDTH 

ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY 

OF AMERICA BY COLUMBUS, 

1492-1892. 



/ 
KINAHAN CORNWALLIS. 



NEW YORK ^^,^ ^^ ^ ^S 

Published at the Office of the Daily Investigator 

66 Broadway 'TC- 

1892 

Original edition, all rights reserved. 






Copyrighted 1892 
By Kinahan Cornwai.lis. 






PREFACE. 



This volume contains the first part, or Columbus 
section, of a poetical narrative of the history of 
America, which — with other matter, chiefly pictur- 
ing America as it is — embraces descriptive accounts 
of the four voyages of Columbus to the New World. 
Those of the other early voyagers, who followed 
that illustrious discoverer in exploring the New 
World, together with the stories in detail of the 
Discovery of the Pacific, the Conquest of Mexico 
by Cortes, and the Conquest of Peru by Pizarro, 
are reserved for future publication. 

Of this alluring and inspiring theme I was of 
course enamored, or I should never have written 
such an elephantine work, which must be published 
in sections, if at all ; and, with life so short and a 
book so long, the whole of it may never find its way 
into type. That a busy man, like myself, should 
have devoted so much time and labor to a task 
involving no promise of pecuniary recompense goes 
to show how much I was in love with my subject, 
and how little I cared for the Almighty Dollar. 

The work has the merit of historical accuracy in 
every particular, but the disadvantage of being 
planned on too large a scale for popular consump- 
tion ; and whether homoeopathic doses of it at 
intervals will overcome this drawback, is a question 



ii PREFACE. 

on which doctors would doubtless differ, as usual. 
Instead of being short and sweet it may be con- 
sidered either " linked sweetness long drawn out," 
or, like the Hoosac Tunnel, a great bore, as the 
reader happens to feel about it ; and the chances 
are ten to one in favor of the Hoosac Tunnel view 
of the matter. But in either case the Song of 
America and the Greeting to Columbus, novy pre- 
sented, are at least sincere and enthusiastic, and 
may perhaps be considered a fitting tribute to him, 
and to the great republic that now honors his 
memory and celebrates the achievement that im- 
mortalized him. 

To that glorious memory I dedicate this pioneer 
offering of descriptive verse, which in its story of 
the discovery and colonization of America, com- 
memorates one of the greatest and most momen- 
tous events in the history of the world, whose rich 
and splendid fruits are best seen in these great 
United States of America in this four hundredth 
anniversary year of that grand discovery — an anni- 
versary we are so fitly and magnificently celebrat- 
ing, not only in the World's Columbian Exposition 
at Chicago, but everywhere from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. In this celebration all nations are 
nobly joining hands with us, and 1892 glorifies the 
hero of 1492 anew, as hero was never glorified 
before. 

KiNAHAN CORNWALLIS. 



THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS 



OR 



THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 

A GREETING TO COLUMBUS AND COLUMBIA, AND DESCRIP- 
TIVE NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGES AND CAREER OF 
COLUMBUS, THEIR PRECURSORS AND SEQUEL. 



Itt celebration of the Four Hundredth Anniversary of the Dis- 
covery of the New World by Colutnbus, 1492-1892. 



Part I. The Song of America in 1892.— A Greeting 
TO Columbus and Columbia. 

Part II. Prelude.— The Ancients on the Sea Be- 
fore Columbus. 

Part III. The Advent of Columbus. 

Part IV. The First Voyage of Columbus and the 
Discovery of the New World. 

Part V. The Second Voyage of Columbus. — The 
Progress of Discovery in America. 

Part VI. The Third Voyage of Columbus and Dis- 
covery of the Continent of America. — Re- 
turning IN Fetters. 

Part VII. The Fourth and Last Voyage of Colum- 
bus — Shipwreck. 

Part VIII. L'Envol— Columbus dies in Spain. 

Part IX. The Sequel to the Discovery of the 
New World by Columbus as seen in 
THE United States of America. — To 
Columbia, the Monument to Columbus. 
— The Voice of the World's Columbian 
Exposition at Chicago, 1892. 



THE SONG 

OF 

AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

OR THE DISCOVERY AND STORY OF 
THE NEW WORLD. 



PART I. 



The Song of America in 1892. — A Greeting 
TO Columbus and Columbia. 

1492-1892. 

Columbia greets Columbus now 

Across the splendid bridge of time. 
To him across the span we bow, 

The great discov'rer of our clime. 
Across four hundred years we glance, 

And watch his caravels arrive, 
The winners in a game of chance ; 

And see ashore a human hive 
That marvelled at the startling sight 

Which met their wond'ring New World eyes ; 



2 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

With Spain's proud banner waving, bright, 

Beneath the warm West Indian sl<ies. 
1892 

Clasps hands across the gulf, and cheers 
1492, 

A long momentous line of years : 
And brighter with the lapse of these 

We see his fame — Columbus — grow, — 
For sailing into New World seas, — 

As vaster grows the debt we owe. 

God bless this glorious land of ours 

In time to come as in the past, 
And guide and strengthen all our powers. 

To Thee we hold forever fast. 
And bow in gratitude and prayer, 

And sing hosannas in thy praise 
For all thy mercies and thy care. 

To Thee a nation's voice we raise. 

TO COLUMBUS. 

Chicago by her inland sea — 
The mouthpiece of these mighty States — 
With nations gathered at her gates, — 
Their choicest treasures with them there 
To swell The World's Columbus Fair, — 
Invites the world to honor thee, 
And pilgrims go where Glory waits 
To add fresh lustre to thy name. 
To blazon thy historic deeds, 
And consecrate anew thy fame. 
Columbia this procession leads, 
And all the world the pageant heeds, 
And joins these great United States 
In greetings at Chicago's gates. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 3 

Hail ! yet once more, that white-winged fleet of 

yore 
That sought Cathay, and found the New World 

shore. 
With sun-gilt spars, and silvered flags and sails 
Triumphant over all opposing gales — 
We see it anchor by the blooming isle 
Where endless summer wears its endless smile : 
And this was but four hundred years ago ! 
What mighty rivers from this fountain flow ! 
What giant oaks have from this acorn grown ! 
What grand achievement ours, from zone to zone ! 
What population vast from sea to sea ! 
What cities great ! What Government so free ? 
What commerce 'twixt the Old World and the New ! 
What wealth and splendor far and wide we view ! 
What wondrous progress since Columbus came, 
And woke this New World to eternal fame ! 



Columbus ! O Columbus, unto thee — 

Thou Great Magician of the Western Sea — 

Quadro-Centennial songs we gladly sing. 

While through the hemispheres thy praises ring — 

The Old World vying grandly with the New — 

Thou, laurelled by Columbia's hand anew; 

For all the world unites to honor thee. 

And sends its tribute over ev'ry sea : 

And may the nations met in unity, 

In friendship evermore united be. 

And meet again four hundred years from now, 

Before the temple of thy fame to bow — 

That deathless and imperishable fame 

That lights the world with its inspiring flame — 



4 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS', 

That tells the story of a mighty deed 

And all we see of which it sowed the seed; 

That vastly widened the domain of man — 

Save the doomed Indian, placed beneath the ban ; — 

That gave a virgin New World to the Old — 

With all its greatness and its wealth untold — 

And changed the course of nations and the race : — 

Momentous deed ! and sanctified by grace. 

Thy praise, Columbus, now Columbia sings. 

And with thy name and fame the New World rings: 

And, though on earth no more, perchance on high 

These plaudits reach thee : — thou canst never die 1 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 



Four hundred years ago Columbus sailed 

From Palos west till land his eyes regaled. 

He sought Cathay, but found San Salvador — 

The New World's welcome, hospitable door, 

A world of which he ne'er had dreamed before. 

A splendid, thrilling accident was this. 

Well might he kneel the sacred cross to kiss, 

And utter prayers of gratitude to God 

For guiding him to that green island's sod. 

All hail to that auspicious day of yore 

When first Columbus saw the promised shore. 

And gave this New World welcome with his eyes, 

A precious and illimitable prize. 

'Tis in the sequel that its grandeur lies. 

Behold the land that celebrates his deed 

Might ne'er have been had he not sown the seed ; 

And of this land, that glorifies him now — 

The fruit of that to which he turned his prow — 

My theme shall be, nor grander theme could be. 

Columbus, and America, the free, 

I link as cause and consequence sublime 

Of that discov'ry in the olden time. 

No more the world event so grand can know 

As that to which we all our greatness owe. 

No more a continent remains unknown 

To dazzle any new Castilian throne. 

For where have not the wings of Commerce flown ? 

A new Columbus never more can be, 

To solve the splendid problem of the sea, 

With its alluring charm and mystery. 

So let us glorify anew his name, 

And celebrate the deed that gave him fame. 

And trumpet to the universe his due — 

The Guide who linked the Old World to the Nevi:, 



6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Who piloted the way to vast success, 

And left the world to wonder and to bless; 

For he of our America is part, 

And near and dear to her — Columbia's — heart. 

II. 

THE GREAT REPUBLIC : A NATIONAL HYMN. 

Hail ! to this New World nation, hail, 

That to Columbus tribute pays ; 
That glorifies his name, all hail, 

And crowns his memory with bays. 

Hail ! to Columbia's mighty realm. 

Which all her valiant sons revere, 
And foemen ne'er can overwhelm. 

Well may the world its prowess fear. 

Hail ! to this richly favored land. 
For which the patriot fathers fought. 

Forever may the Union stand, 

To crown the noble deeds they wrought. 

Hail ! to the clime where Plenty reigns, 
And Nature woos, with lavish hands — 

Across the prairies and the plains — 
A countless throng from other lands. 

Hail ! to the galaxy of States, 

The many radiant in one ! 
For them fresh glory ever waits. 

And Progress leads them grandly on. 

Hail ! to the flag which freemen love 

That typifies the Union, 
Whose stars are like the stars above, 

But closer in communion. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 

Hail ! Banner that all these unites, 

And may the States emblazoned there — 

A loyal host, with sovereign rights, — 
God's blessing through the ages share. 

Hail ! to the stars and stripes sublime. 

Forever let them wave on high ; 
And range the world from clime to clime, 

To symbol Freedom to the sky. 

Hail ! East and West, and North and South, 

From Bunker Hill to Mexico; 
The Lakes to Mississippi's mouth. 

And the Sierras crowned with snow. 

Hail ! to the wondrous works of man, 
From Maine to California's shores; 

From ocean they to ocean span, 
And over all the eagle soars. 

Hail ! to New England and her homes. 
New England and her sombre pines. 

No son of hers, who widely roams. 
But gladly seeks again her shrines. 

Hail ! daughters of this glorious land, 
Whose beauty bears away the palm 

From beauty on each foreign strand. 
With ye there is in Gilead balm. 

Hail ! to the great republic, hail ! 

Its future fame will dim the past. 
'Twas not pre-destined e'er to fail. 

But to succeed from first to last. 



8 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Hail ! to its splendid years of life, 

The century its course has run, 
Its victories in peace and strife, 

The countless triumphs it has won. 

Hail ! to those greater deeds undone. 

That greater glory to be gained. 
Its grandest work has just begun. 

Its destiny is God-ordained. 

Hail ! yet once more. United States, 

United less by wire and rail 
Than loving hearts and buried hates ; 

Hail ! Great united nation, hail. 

And hail Columbus — pioneer, 

Who gave the New World to mankind, 

And paved the way to empire here, 

As though the plan were God-designed ! 

III. 

Lo, we of 1892 

Now garland 1492. 

We take Columbus by the hand, 

And lead him through the promised land, 

The land to which he boldly led the way. 

No matter that he aimed to reach Cathay, 

Nor dreamed of what the future had in store 

For this New World that wooed him to its shore. 

Thou more than royal queen, Columbia, hail ! 

On Inspiration's pinions let me sail, 

And on thee long my ardent eyes regale. 

With glowing thoughts, that paint thee nigh divine, 

I worship like a lover at thy shrine. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. g 

And gladly greet thee in this glorious year — 
Round which are clust'ring mem'ries, deep and 

dear — 
And while the sounds of celebration ring, 
And tens of millions to thy glory sing, 
I fain would swell the chorus of their praise. 
And add a chaplet to thy fadeless bays. 
In thee I find a soul-inspiring theme, 
And well my brain with fancies fair may teem 
As I behold thee mirrored to my view 
And mentally thy majesty review. 

IV. 

Thou mighty offshoot of a mighty race 

Whose prowess through the centuries we trace — ' 

The sturdy Anglo-Saxon, strong and bold — 

'Tis yet for thee fresh grandeur to unfold. 

Who knows how soon thy spangled flag will wave 

Where Venezuela verges on the grave, 

And Costa Rica seems a nation dead ; 

Where Mexico, self-wounded, long has bled, 

And the La Plata rolls its lengthy tide, 

And Orinoco spreads its waters wide ; 

From bright Brazil to green San Salvador, 

And Chili and Peru to Eucador, 

Embracing all the Andes, grand and tall — 

Undying Nature's everlasting wall — 

One continent and flag, one people ? Lo ! 

The tide foreshadows where the sea will flow. 

V. 

Land of a thousand glories and delights 
I fain w^ould soar to more transcendent flights, 
And see, through vast infinities of time, 
Thy destiny majestic and sublime. 



lo THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

When Cabot and Columbus voyaged first, 

And venturers thy early childhood nursed, 

Who dreamed the giant of the future lay 

In Nature's cradle sleeping life away? 

And who of all who see thee, grand and vast, 

Can thy far greater glory yet forecast ? 

No thought can compass in this mundane sphere, 

No tongue on earth can tell to list'ning ear. 

No mental eye, though keen it be, foresee 

What yet remains — Columbia ! — for thee. 

What tides may swell the ocean of thy life. 

What undreamt possibilities be rife, 

That, as the cycles slowly roll away, 

O'er all the Western world may give thee sway. 

Scarce has the march of progress yet begun, 

And countless triumphs wait thee to be won. 

The future, lo ! will dim the shining past, 

And each new act be grander than the last. 

VI. 

Land where the Mississippi — mighty tide 

By whose dark waters brave De Soto died — 

Magnificently flows, its country's pride, 

And with Missouri shares anon its bed — 

Two noble rivers to each other wed ; 

Land where Niag'ra, like a foaming steed, 

Leaps o'er the awful brink with flying speed 

And thund'ring tramp, then rushes toward the sea, 

Wild, bounding, and impatient to be free — 

A cataract majestic and sublime, 

Which never wearies with the flight of time; 

Land where a mighty chain of inland seas 

Gleams in the sun and ripples in the breeze — 

Ontario and Huron ; Champlain, too. 

With broad Superior's bright waters blue, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. ii 

And Michigan and Erie, grand to view, 

Whose wavelets kiss and fret upon their shores, 

Or break in fury when the tempest roars, 

And o'er whose bosom busy commerce plies — 

The messenges of New World enterprise; 

Land of the eagle and the buffalo. 

Where the Sierras raise their crowns of snow — 

That glitter in the sun's refulgent light — 

O'er which the bird of Freedom takes its flight ; 

Land by two mighty oceans washed, to thee. 

Through changing climes, that stretch from sea to 

sea, 
In adoration I would bend the knee, 
And link Columbus with my minstrelsy. 

VIL 

America ! magnificent domain 
I would my muse could sing a worthier strain, 
But speech may falter though the heart be strong 
And words are weakest when ideas throng. 
Long sail thy Ship of State a prosp'rous sea, 
And glory greet her wheresoe'er she be. 
May vigilance, eternal, guard her prow, 
Nor fewer stars thy banner stud than now. 
May Fortune smile, and gladden, and caress, 
And all thy course the great Jehovah bless. 
May all thy daughters — lovely as the rose — 
Strive, more than beauty, virtues to disclose, 
Enhancing pleasures and relieving woes; 
And may thy sons prize honor more than fame, 
And worth, and manhood, and a stainless name. 
Than all the gold that sordid natures crave, 
But to relinquish when they reach the grave. 
May peace, unbroken, all thy ways attend. 
And all thy acts to bloodless conquest tend. 



12 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Though on thee now no mighty army feeds 

Thy fame is great for war's courageous deeds. 

Well I remember when Fort Moultrie's guns 

Awoke the giant North, and roused her sons 

To arms ! — a vast and patriotic host. 

From East to West — the prairies to the coast — 

Uprose the legions of the brave and strong — 

An army to avenge Fort Sumter's wrong — 

An outraged flag, an insult and a blow. 

All Northern hearts united, high and low, 

And loudly rang those guns throughout the land. 

The die was cast, the spectacle was grand, 

While North and South, in dense and fierce 

array. 
Plunged into war, and squandered life away 
Till Freedom struck the fetters from the slave, 
And laid Secession in its gory grave, 
The Union flag triumphant over all, 
By which henceforth let patriots stand or fall. 
Ah ! well 'tis now the bitter strife is o'er. 
And may thy sons — Columbia ! — war no more. 
And North and South alike forget the past. 
For evermore in bonds of friendship fast; 
For one are they, united sure to stand, 
And gather in the harvests of the land. 
While speeding to their destination grand, 
O'erruled and guided by His fost'ring hand. 

VIII. 

O ! great and proud Republic, hail ! to thee. 
Where dwell the brave, the beautiful, the free. 
Long I have wooed thee, long thy praises sung. 
And fondly at thy feet have garlands flung; 
All hail ! to thee, O rich prolific clime. 
Whose annals shine, heroic and sublime, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 13 

And lustre shed upon thy starry flag, 
Wliich in the dust no earthly foe can drag 
While Freedom's eagle o'er that standard soars 
And Nature still on thee abundance pours. 
Long may thy course of empire onward be, 
And long thy commerce traverse ev'ry sea. 
Long may that freedom thou canst boast to-day 
Attend thee on thy grand triumphal way, 
And righteous deeds alone from age to age 
Their impress leave on thy historic page. 

Though generations few have winged their way 

Since thy great natal Independence Day, 

Behold how great a change has Freedom wrought, 

For which thy sons their battles bravely fought 

At Concord and at Lexington of old — 

( The story through the ages will be told, 

And unborn generations proudly thrill ) — 

And on the bloody field of Bunker Hill, 

Where twice the yeomen hurled their foemen back, 

And Warren fell on Britain's third attack, 

A patriot true whose loss was great indeed. 

But others rose the righteous way to lead, 

For naught could quench the thirst for freedom then. 

From home and plough came hosts of sturdy men 

Who battled in the patriotic cause. 

While women urged them forward with applause. 

At Bunker Hill their country's fate was sealed. 

And startled England at the tidings reeled; 

For though success had crowned her arms at last, — 

When those who led them faced the scene aghast — 

The vict'ry with disaster dire was rife. 

All Europe heard the echoes of the strife 

That heralded the great republic's life. 

Yet British valor ne'er had brighter shone 

Than when it met the equal of its own. 



14 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Tlie conflict spread from Massachusetts' Bay 

Till thirteen stars were glitt'ring in the fray, 

And North and South were fighting side by side, 

Each in the cause imbued with common pride, 

United in the brotherhood of Right, 

United for the overthrow of Might, 

United for the liberty they craved. 

How thrilling were the perils that they braved ! 

And still as then their strength in Union lies, 

And still as then they're bound by kindred ties. 

Let these unite across the gulf of gore 

In pledging peace and friendship evermore. 



IX. 

By slow degrees the glorious war progressed : 
The righteous cause from first to last was blessed 
As though 'twere guided by the hand Divine. 
At Saratoga, Yorktown, Brandywine, 
At Bennington, and Monmouth, heroes stood, 
And on their country's altar shed their blood, 
For liberty contented there to die. 
Such surely still survive in realms on high. 
Success might cheer, disaster ne'er deterred, 
But on to grander efforts valor spurred. 
Not in the snows of dreary Valley Forge, 
Where cruel woes o'ercame them like a scourge ; 
Not in the Jerseys through the long campaign. 
When Death was busy harvesting the slain, 
Was murmur heard, or aught but courage seen, 
Nor in the Carolinas — led by Greene, — 
Retreating slowly, fighting as they went, — . 
Were soldiers known to utter one lament. 
At Trenton and at Princeton iron hearts 
Against reverses played heroic parts. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 15 

At Charleston, and at Guilford, 'twas the same, 

Each battle only adding to their fame, 

And Camden saw victorious defeat, 

For hard it was such patriots to beat, 

'Tis sad such slaughter should have e'er been done, 

But independence by the war was won, 

And Freedom's reign through all the world begun ; 

And, though the flag was crimsoned so with blood, 

From evil came a heritage of good, 

And kinsmen then who, warring, kinsmen slew 

Are now forever pledged in friendship true. 

The two great sections of our sturdy race 

In heart, with telegraphic arms, embrace ; 

And curs'd be he who'd strive to weaken ties 

Of love and speech, of faith and enterprise. 

Which through all time the world will aggrandize, 

For in the bond of peace their progress lies 

For ever blessed be the fatherland. 

America to England gives her hand. 

X. 

Yes, well indeed for England was defeat, 

A blessing in concealment her retreat, 

For had she been triumphant in the fight 

Wrong would have swayed the sceptre over Right, 

And Tyranny through Britain's wide domain 

Would then have held an undisputed reign, 

And human rights been trampled in the dust. 

And Justice made the tyrant of the just, 

While Retrogression on King George's throne 

Proo-ression would have checked or overthrown — 

An evil work an age had scarce effaced. 

And enterprise would long have run to waste. 

Yes, George the Third unconscious good bestowed, 

For to his rule its birth a nation owed. 



i6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

He kindled Revolution, and behold 

The splendid fruits of Freedom's fight of old ! 

'Twas well indeed for thee, and all the world 
In glory thus thy banner was unfurled, 
And England's loss has since been England's gain. 
Long live old England and New England, twain 1 
Both to the slave his stolen freedom gave, 
And deep for hated Bondage dug the grave. 
One language, and one ocean both unite. 
One tie of blood, one sentiment of Right, 
And, kinsmen still, they ne'er again will fight, 
While arts of peace will testify their might. 
Long wave their friendly banners side by side. 
To noble deeds let noble purpose guide, 
And each in these display ennobling pride. 



XL 

From distant realms — Columbia ! — millions fly 
To court thee— ever prone to naught deny — 
And well this current hitherward may flow. 
And young and old with hope and ardor glow 
When Fortune opens hospitable doors, 
And woos and welcomes to thy happy shores, 
Where all in one the diverse races blend. 
And learn thy spangled banner to defend. 
Where'er I turn Improvement meets the eye, 
And "onward ! " ever is the people's cry 
For Progress speeds with wings that never tire, 
And Science spreads its net of rail and wire. 
And spans the ocean with its speaking lines. 
Uniting nations in its grand designs, 
While in the vastness of the range of steam 
How much appears as wondrous as a dream ! 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 17 

On Westward, on flows Immigration's tide 
And sows the seed of future wealth awide. 
There cities in the solitudes arise, 
And pioneers throb with enterprise. 
There Colorado and Montana lie 
Revealing riches to the searcliing eye, 
While, far beyond, the grand Pacific slope, 
With shining gold, forever kindles hope. 
Free competition speeds Invention's stride. 
And Art and Science flourish side by side, 
While labor all who labor dignifies. 
And Justice reigns with introverted eyes; 
And though the mighty Press is free as air 
Mark License curbed by Freedom ev'rywhere. 
Great national resources yield their wealth. 
And in the splendid climate there is health. 

The teeming mine, whose gold and silver fruit 
The eager miner's searching eyes salute ; 
The spotless cotton bursting from the pod ; 
The yellow maize upon its golden rod ; 
Tobacco's spreading green and siren leaf ; 
The wheat-ears gathered in a ripened sheaf; 
The rice-fields waving in the Southern sun ; 
The canebrake — sugar-laden — dense and dun ; 
The fleece that from the sheep is newly shorn ; 
The blushing fruits that rival Plenty's horn — 
All these proclaim thy opulence, O land ! 
Adorned and blessed by Nature's lavish hand, 
While sweet religion o'er it sheds its balm, 
And lulls the baser passions to a calm. 

XII. 

From thy cold northern seaboard, bold and bare, 
To where Pacific woos a balmier air — 



i8 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS-. 

From Narragansett Bay to Puget Sound — ■ 
The temples of tlie Lord of Hosts abound, 
And hymns of praise from Christian hearts arise 
In homage to the God that rules the skies, 
Who 'with the welcome Sabbath's holy rest 
Has all the sons of earth divinely blest. 
'Tis then the land is hushed to brief repose, 
While solemn bells ring out o'er winter's snows. 
And, too, when fields are gay with summer bloom, 
And when the woods their autumn tints assume. 
All hail! the Sabbath in a Christian land, 
With Faith and Toleration hand in hand, 
And may the creeds, which equal blessings share, 
Each other naught but loving-kindness bear. 
And do on earth the great Creator's will, 
Returning good in charity for ill, 
And teaching man humanity to man, — 
Wiiile adding glory to life's narrow span, 
For Christian graces dearer are than gold, 
And more than beauty lovely to behold. 

XHI. 

Proud and united galaxy of States — 
America ! — on thee but glory waits. 
Thy grandeur growing with the flight of time 
And all the harvests of thy favored clime. 
Thy Constitution girds thee with a shield 
That guards thee like an army in the field, 
Defying all vicissitudes and change. 
While yielding Progress unrestricted range, 
Extending equal rights with jealous care, 
And liberty bestowing ev'rywhere. 
Who'd bulwark so protecting sweep away ? 
Well may thy children prize their regal sway 
And hail each year their Independence Day ! 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 19 

Their birthright and their hberty are one, 
Nor e'er they'll lose it till all else is gone : 
For all beside it seems as dross to gold — 
The life tliat served Columbia's form to mould. 
How priceless, and how precious in their eyes 
That splendid and imperishable prize ! 
Yes, they were born to guard it as their own, 
And in their hearts their liberty enthrone. 
'Twere vain indeed for traitors to combine 
To desecrate that truly hallowed shrine. 

Long float thy Navy's banners o'er the sea — 

The stars and stripes that symbolize the free— 

And shield thy far exploring enterprise. 

May diplomatic and fraternal ties 

To distant nations hold thee always near, 

Yet, all untrammelled, let thy course be clear. 

No foe in all the world hast thou to fear ; 

Alone and grand, impregnable and vast. 

Thy future see foreshadowed in the past : 

And yet how recent still appears the day 

When all the land a waste of verdure lay, 

And lavished all its virgin strength in vain 

From the Atlantic to Pacific's main, 

Through solemn silent centuries of rest — 

Through countless ages by the Red Man blest. 

Where axe and ploughshare were like Art unknown, 

And earth itself to him seemed all his own. 



XIV. 

Behold the Red Man where he ruled of yore 
Has lost his empire, and is king no more ! 
The mighty tribes that once held regal sway 
Have from their native lands nigh passed away, 



20 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And soon before Invasion's fatal blight 
Their star will set — alas! — in endless- night. 
The Sioux and the Algonquins, where are these? 
Where, too, are now the Hurons and Pawnees, 
The Chickasaws, Oneidas, and Shawnees, 
The Winnebagos, and the Muscogees, 
The Saukies, the Canianches, and Uchees, 
The Kansas, Seminoles, and Weetumkees, 
The Mohegans, Nihantics, and Natchees, 
The Pequots, Miamis, and Yamasees, 
The Tuscaroras and the Waterees, 
The Narragansetts, and Menomonees, 
The Choctaws, Uelawares, and Cherokees, 
The Eries, Yamacraws, and Mosokees, 
The Mohawks, and the Chickahominies, 
The Kickapoos, and tall Walhoniinies, 
The Androscoggins, and the Omahas, 
The Alibams, and Mitchigamuas, 
The Tangeboas, and the Pammahas, 
The Apalachias, and the Ostonoos, 
The Sacs and Foxes and the Onodoos, 
The Pottawattomies and loways, 
The Creeks, Catawbas, and Ojibbeways, 
The Senecas, Peorias, and Crows — 
Who sank beneath the burden of their woes ? 
How few remain of all those valiant hosts 
That peopled once the prairies and the coasts. 
The white man has usurped their wide domain, 
And on their native soil no more they reign. 
They vanish as they came, nor leave a sign ; 
But how they came, and whence, can Man di- 
vine ? 
Perchance they crossed the sea from Asian shores 
In bolsas, or canoes, propelled by oars, 
In ages lost to pre-historic lore — 
The ancient days whose memory is no more — 



OK THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 21 

Or found o'er Behring's narrow Strait their way 
From Tartar wilds, or Mangi, or Cathay ; 
For there the mighty continents are seen 
With less than forty miles of flood between, 
And intervening isles to grace the scene. 
In these the first discov'rers we behold — 
A people with a story yet untold. 

XV. 

Columbia! o'er thy bosom let me range, 
And contemplate the beautiful, the strange, 
For in a feast of vision I delight, 
And fain would be ubiquitous in sight. 
To Appalachia's mountains let me soar — 
From Hudson to the Rio Grande's shore — 
And yon Blue Ridge with poet's eye explore, 
And trace the chain of Ozark west and south 
Red River-wards from broad Missouri's mouth ; 
Then course, in thought, through wild Wisconsin 

hills— 
Whose noble sweep my soul with pleasure fills — 
And Mississippi's valley, vast to view, 
And the Atlantic Terrace wander through; 
For I rejoice in roving far and wide, 
And gaze on thee — America ! — with pride. 

XVI. 

Hail ! Massachusetts, to thy friendly sod 

The Pilgrims came, and bowed the knee to God. 

Hail ! to that Plymouth Rock, where first they trod. 

When from the sea they landed on thy coast — 

A brave, heroic, persecuted host. 

Hail ! Mother of New England, rich in lore. 

Whose name at Bunker Hill was writ in gore. 

Hail ! the Green Mountains, that I've wandered o'er. 



22 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And hail ! the region of the Golden Gate. 
Hail ! to the fast advancing Empire Stale, 
Whose future like her past is grand and great, 
For to her all the world its tribute yields, 
And she a sceptre in her commerce wields. 
Hail ! Carolina's rice and cotton fields. 
And Minnesota's waving wealth of grain. 
And, too, the pines and maple groves of Maine, 
And all the ore in Pennsylvania's breast, 
And in Nevada, richly silver-blest. 
Hail ! to the Plains, far-spreading like a sea, 
To which I oft on wings of fancy flee, 
And Arizona's and Montana's mines 
Where virgin gold in rich abundance shines. 
Hail ! to the mighty prairies of the West 
O'er which I've bounded with a hunter's zest, 
And which ere long with cities will resound 
Though resting still in solitude profound. 
And hail ! O Old Dominion, to thee. 
Where Pocahontas wandered, wild and free. 
Long ere the Red Man lost his ancient sway, 
And to the pale invader fell a prey. 
She blossom-like in growing beauty bloomed. 
And saved a life her warlike sire had doomed. 
When Powhatan prepared to strike the blow 
Designed to lay his trembling captive low 
She flung herself between exclaiming — " Slay 
Your daughter, but your captive ne'er, I pray I " 
To which the chieftain promptly made reply — 
" He merits life for whom she fain would die ! " 



Hail ! to New Hampshire's hoary mountain heights, 
In which my contemplative soul delights ; 
For I have climbed their lone and lofty peaks. 
Where oft the storm in roaring thunder speaks, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 23 

And from their craggy granite brows surveyed 
The scene below, disposed in light and shade, 
And raised my longing eyes from earth to sky, 
And pictured realms of endless bliss on high, 
Where live the good when from the world they fly. 
Hail ! to the Adirondacks, bold and blue, 
Sequestered wild and beautiful to view, 
And to the AUeghanies, long and low. 
Which I have seen when mantled o'er with snow. 
And in the summer sunset's mellow glow. 
Hail! to Lake George whose crystal Hoods reflect 
The mountains round by Flora's hand bedecked. 
While isles of verdure stud its smiling face. 
Whose shadows in the sunlight I can trace. 
Here all recalls the mem'ry of the strife 
That ushered thee — Columbia! — into life. 

xvn. 

Hail ! to the Hudson, picturesque and grand — 
A masterpiece from Nature's dainty hand — 
Eclipsing all the glories of the Rhine, 
In splendor flowing, beautiful, divine. 
How lovely are its features to the sight — 
Like some imagined River of Delight! 
For here has Nature lavished on the land 
Those mingled charms which glowing praise com- 
mand. 
From where the Catskills overlook its tide — 
Bright as a mirror, rolling deep and wide — 
To where the lofty Palisades arise, 
With beauty, beauty, ever changing, vies. 
Hill, mountain, valley, woodland, town and mead. 
Each other panorama-like succeed. 
And all is as a vision bright and fair 
That meets the wand'rer as he gazes there. 



24 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

When Steam's pulsations Fulton's ship impelled 
Its gliding form thy flowing waters held, 
And though it seems a thing of yesterday 
Behold its fruits upon the wat'ry way. 
Not even Watt foresaw the Engine's reign 
O'er all the earth, and all the mighty main, 
Nor Morse how much he'd girdle both with wire 
Nerved with a spark of the electric fire. 

XVIII. 

Hail ! to the Schuylkill and the Delaware, 

Whose waters white-winged steeds of Commerce 

bear, 
Where Penn of old his solemn treaty made, 
And firm foundations for the future laid. 
And Washington his troops to glory led, 
And lustre on his name and country shed. 
Hail I to Monongahela's rushing stream. 
Whose waves like silver in the moonlight gleam, 
And to the Shenandoah of the vale, 
O'er which there wanders here and there a sail ; 
And hail ! the Arkansas, and Kennebec, 
Whose waters, far apart, the prospect deck. 
Hail! to the broad Savannah, calm and bright, 
Which basks in beauty in the summer light, 
While balmy airs caress it as it flows, 
And ev'ry ripple on its bosom glows. 
Hail! to the Wabash, Indiana's pride. 
Where countless keels upon their errands glide; 
And Alabama's serpentine Mobile, 
Which seems a thousand pictures to reveal. 
Hail ! the Potomac, and Mount Vernon's shrine, 
Where ivies o'er the tomb of greatness twine. 
There sleeps the hero with a deathless fame — 
A loved, an honored, and immortal name— 



OR THE SrORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 25 

For ever to his country's sons endeared, 
And by the world from pole to pole revered ! 
Hail ! the Ohio's far-extending tide, 
That flows in splendor — picturesque and wide — 
Till, lost in Mississippi's proud embrace. 
It dies with foaming wavelets on its face.. 
Hail ! to the Susquehanna's rippling flood, 
By which in pensive mood I've, gazing, stood 
While one by one were pictured to my mind 
The native legends in itself enshrined. 
Hail ! to the Sacramento, far away, 
On which I've seen the sunbeams brightly play. 
While busy steamers glided on its breast. 
And feathered oars its swelling form caressed. 
Hail ! to the Tennessee, meandering, deep, 
The dark Connecticut's imposing sweep. 
And the St. Lawrence, vast and fair to see, 
From distant mountains stretching to the sea. 
Hail ! to the Thousand Isles that stud its tide. 
Each isle arrayed and beaming like a bride — 
A sight whose beauty ever haunts the eye. 
From which I turn delighted with a sigh. 
Hail ! to the Rappahannock's silver stream, 
With music in its waters as they gleam, 
And to the Merrimac among the pines, 
Whose shadows fall in long and dusky lines ; 
For rivers give refreshment to the land. 
And feed the ocean with a bounteous hand. 
While from their virgin sources to the main 
Eternal as the heavens is their reign. 

XIX. 

Hail ! to the Valley of the Yellowstone, 
Whose wonders and whose beauties scarce are 
known, 



26 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Where boiling geysers spout tlieir floods on high, 

And mammolh trees rise grandly toward the sky. 

Hail ! to the Yo-se-mi-te's splendid Vale 

By mountains framed o'er which the eagles sail, 

Where Nature 's pictured in her grandest moods. 

And fairy scenes are hid in solitudes ; 

And welcome ! all the glories of the land, 

Which bear the impress of the Maker's hand, 

For beauty is akin to things divine, 

And earthly scenes with light celestial shine. 

Hail ! to Wyoming's green historic Vale, 

Though I with pain peruse its tragic tale. 

But when upon its loveliness I gaze 

I scarce recall the sights of other days, 

So fair and peaceful, and so still it lies. 

Where once resounded agonizing cries. 

Hail ! to a vale less rugged to the eye 

Through which I wandered in the years gone by. 

That won me by its beauty and repose 

And still in mem'ry on my vision glows — 

The Housatonic with its frame of hills, 

From which there gurgle fresh and sparkling rills. 

And where the limpid river winds its way 

While babbling here and there its roundelay. 

Ah ! there 'tis sweet with Nature to commune 

Inhaling fragrance in the month of June. 

XX. 

Home of angelic women and brave men — 
Fair land that I adore — yet once again 
I strive in vain to paint thee with the pen. 
Ten thousand beauties greet me on thy shores. 
And unto lofty heights my spirit soars 
Beyond the track of Steam's metallic steed — 
Which, fed by fire, careers with flying speed — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 27 

And where the wire electric ne'er has been 

And undisturbed the condor eyes the scene. 

Across the sea-like prairies, verdure-clad 

1 flv in thou^^ht, reflective and ha t-sacl 

To vonder bold Sierras, dark and wild 

Whos^ eaks, behold ! in rugged grandeur piled 

Gainst the background of the vaultoE blue, 

Wliile all around is picturesque to view. 

Once more thy splendid cities I survey, 

Where Progress holds an undisputed sway, 

And hear the hum oE industry and trade ; 

And see before me new foundations laia. 

Once mo?e I watch the reaper, plough, and 

And wa;ing fields of grass and golden grain. 

And orchards that diversify the pl^^"' 

And wardens that are rich in leaf and bloom, 

Exhaling on the air their soft perfume. 

Once more I see the weaver's busy loom. 

And wheel on wheel in rapid motion fly, 

tnd scan machines that punch a needle's eye; 

And watch the metal in the furnace glow, 

And hear the hammer's quick resounding blow. 

For Manufacture leads a sleepless Me, 

And enterprise throughout the land is rile. 

Once more thy bright-eyed daughters, ruby-hpp d, 

WUh graceful fornfs, in charming guise equipped. 

Are .nine to view-dark, fair, and l^l^Pf ; 

Alas ' that Time their beauty e'er should veil 

Once' more I greet thee-North, West, South and 

Aiuf on~thy charms mine eyes would ever feast. 
AH hail ! to thy magnificence, O clime ! 
Where I have gazed in rapture o/t^^^ime ; 
Where on Mount Shasta at the break of day. 
When air and clouds alike were cold and gray— 



28 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Ere from their night-long shelter birds had flown — 
I've stood and gazed in silence and alone, 
And watched the rising sun put out the stars 
And streak the eastern sky with golden bars, 
Then on the face of Nature brightly play, 
And shed the lustre of the dawning day; 
Where, too, I've watched at eve the setting sun 
When man his daily task had almost done. 
And 'mid its splendors, dazzling and divine — 
Which through my mem'ry's vistas brightly shine — • 
Seen color vie with color, ray with ray. 
Through space extending, near and far away. 
While all was grand, resplendent and sublime, 
But in its beauty fleeting e'en as time ; — 
Where I have wandered far, and wide, and long, 
And sung thy praise in patriotic song: — 
Clime where the Pilgrim Fathers found their 

home. 
By persecution forced the sea to roam ; 
Where Washington, time-honored, lived and died, 
Yet lives immortalized, his Country's pride; 
Where Jefferson, and Clay, and Calhoun breathed 
And were with laurels by the people wreathed ; 
Where Lincoln fell by an assassin's hand 
And filled with mourning a devoted land ; 
Where Freedom out of bondage plucked the slave, 
And God to her defenders triumph gave. 

XXI. 

No nation has a heritage like thine ; 
No poet has a grander theme than mine, 
And though I cannot fitly sing thy praise 
I yet can humbly strew thy path with bays. 
United States ! united ever be. 
Invincible in strength on land and sea ! 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 29 

And ever, with united liearts and liands, 
Press on, the envy of all other lands. 
O'er thee, Columbia, Freedom sheds its light, 
And thou art great in majesty and might. 
Yet to Columbus is thy grandeur due. 
Through him the Old World colonized the New. 
He sought and found a World unknown before, 
And back to Spain the wondrous tidings bore : 
And this was but four hundred years ago. 
How vast a boon to him the nations owe! 
Let both the hemispheres extol his name, 
And londly trumpet his immortal fame. 

The World's Columbian Exposition, hail ! 

It tells mankind the great historic tale. 

And all the nations of the earth are there 

Our celebration at the Fair to share. 

There 1492 we greet. 

And, in the S]3irit him — Columbus — meet, 

While 1892 cries Hail I 

All hail again to him — Columbus — hail ! 



PART 11. 



Prelude. — The Ancients on the Sea Before 
Columbus. 

[Period. — From the Dawn of Navi.2;ation to the Advent of 
Columbus.] 

For countless ages from Creation's morn 
The science Navigation lay unborn, 
And all unploughed by man the sea reposed — 
A mighty volume to his vision closed. 



30 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Save where its restless waters marked the shore — 
And spoke, in tempests, in an angry roar — 
A waste extending far as eye could view. 
Eternal as the heavens, and as blue. 
'Twas Egypt first adventured on its breast, 
And carried Eastern treasures to the West, 
Though brief upon the ocean was her reign. 
For soon she treated commerce with disdain. 
And closed her ports to all who sailed the main. 
Then on Phoenician sails the sunlight fell. 
While Oriental commerce prospered well. 
And Tyre, and Sidon, rose to splendid fame. 
For to their ports the freighted vessels came. 
They sought the boundless empire of the sea — 
The masters of its enterprise to be — 
And to success, and daring, bowed the knee. 
Their vessels through the Red Sea's waters went, 
And coursed along the Eastern Continent. 
From Arab shores to Hindostan they ranged. 
And products with the Africans exchanged. 
Without a rival on the deep were they, 
And held o'er commerce undisputed swa}^ 
Till lo ! the Jews — with David as their king — 
Began their way o'er ocean wide to wing. 
Attracted by the riches won by ti"ade. 
Tiien Solomon in all his pomp arrayed — 
With Hiram, King of Tyre, to lend him aid — 
Sent fleets to Tarshish, and to Ophir's shore* 
To gather treasures, rare, and golden ore, 
And so adorned all Israel of old 
With that rude splendor which was born of gold : 
But by disaster, and their laws, confined. 
The commerce of the Jews, in time, declined. 



* Supposed to be ports of India, and Africa. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 31 

And Carthage took what Israel bequeathed, 
And into trade new life and vigor breathed. 
She reached the shores of Britain, Gaul and Spain, 
In bold adventures o'er the northern main, 
And the Canary Islands, westward, found, 
And soon became in Africa renowned. 
When Tyre to Alexander fell a prey, 
And Egypt, in submission, owned his sway, 
Greece took possession of the wat'ry way, 
And conquest crowned her efforts with success, 
While great Jehovah seemed her arms to bless. 
From Thessaly the Argonauts advanced 
Till on the Euxine Sea their vessel danced — 
The greatest wonder of those early days, 
Which for its authors gained a nation's praise, 
For mighty they as demi-gods became, 
And won their ship a constellation's fame. 
We still, in thought, can see the Argo glide, 
With Jason at the helm, her course to guide, 
The Golden Fleece before his glowing eyes — 
A thing he seeks with ardent enterprise. 
And yet how little Greece of ocean knew 
This vaunted deed exhibits to our view. 
Then Rome, her rival, spread competing sails. 
And braved the tropic heats, and wintry gales, 
And through her strength, and prowess, by de- 
grees 
Became the reigning mistress of the seas. 
Greece, Carthage, Egypt to her sceptre bowed, 
And for her foes she'd nothing but a shroud. 
The seabound states of all the world she ruled, 
And in her arts the universe she schooled ; 
But when to ruins fell her vast domain, 
Italians on the waves, eclipsed her reign, 
And bold crusaders voyaged o'er the deep, 
The spoils of conquest, far and wide, to reap. 



32 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Ere this the Norsemen — so the Sagas* say — 

Knew where the rugged shores of Vhiland lay — • 

Southwest across the ocean — far away. 

'Tis said that nigh nine hundred years ago — 

The story's truth, or falsehood, who can show ? — 

A hardy Viking o'er the sea was blown,! 

Who found a coast to Europe all unknown. 

Then steering east, returned to Greenland's shore, 

And told his tale of wonder o'er, and o'er. 

'Twas heard by Leif — one Eric Rauda's son| — 

Who saw, from this, that glory might be won, 



*The Scandinavian chronicles. The account here referred 
to is given by Snorro Sturluson in his Saga of King Olavs. 

t One Biorn, or (Bjarne Ilerrjulfson) a Norwegian, and 
owner and captain of a ship, on a voyage from Iceland to 
Greenland in or about the year 986. 

+ Leif and Eiorn, with a crew of thirty-five men, are sup- 
posed to have landed in Viuland in the year tooo. One theory 
is that this was the coast of New England, and that the 
voyagers camped at or near what is now Fall River, in Mass- 
achusetts, where seven years later one Thorson Karlseyne, 
and his crew, left behind the inscription on the " Dighton 
Writing Rock." In 1002 an expedition is said to have 
reached Vinland under the command of Thorwald, the son 
of Eric, who being killed by an Indian arrow, was buried at 
Garnet Point in that vicinity. Hence the supposition that 
the skeleton in armor dug up there nearly half a century ago, 
and which has been embalmed in verse by Longfellow, was 
that of this enterprising Scandinavian, the armor having 
been pronounced by Berzelius, the chemist, identical with that 
of the Norwegians, in the tenth century. The " Old Mill " at 
Newport is lil^ewise pointed out as a relic of these expeditions 
from Greenland, which are said to have continued up to the 
year 1347, beyond which no record of them exists. The 
black plague then broke out in Norway, and the cessation of 
maritime enterprise is attributed to this, while a desire to 
monopolize their knowledge of Vinland is considered to have 
been the probable cause of the Norwegians preserving silence 
to the 'world with regard to their discoveries, the result of 
which was that, before the time of Columbus, where they were 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 33 

And urged that both should seek the land anew. 
They sailed, and lo ! it rose before their view.* 
There — where the vine in wild abundance grew — 
They — by a river — camped the winter through.! 
And bade the coast, when summer came, adieu, 
And back to Greenland furs, and tidings, brought. 
Ere long by others Vinland's shore was sought, 
Who Northern wares for Western furs resigned, 
And traded thus for ages out of mind : 
But Vinland after that was lost to sight. X 
It seemed to vanish in historic night ; 

not entirely unknown to that people, they were looked upon 
as fabulous, while the rest of mankind were in utter ignorance 
on the subject. 

The advocates of this theory quote the writings in Latin of 
Adam of Bremen, who visited the Danish King Svend Es- 
thidson, who, in reterriiig to the matter, makes allusion to 
a land discovered far away in the Atlantic called " Vine- 
land," because of grape-bearing vines being indigenous to its 
soil. Admitting, however, that such voyages were made to 
America, they were unimportant in their influence, and 
Columbus showed by the course in which he sailed on his 
first voyage that, if he had ever heard of them, he was in no 
way guided by them, his object being to discover a western 
passage to India. 

* Eric Rauda, (Eric the Redhead,) was the first Icelandic 
settler in Greenland, and is said to have discovered it in the 
year 9S4. 

t From the fact that on the shortest day the sun was eight 
hours above the horizon it has been inferred by good 
authorities that the land referred to was in about the 49th 
degree of north latitude on the coast of North America, near 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, or on the island of Newfoundland, 
where it is contended many of the Indians, in the interior, 
show signs of Scandinavian descent. 

I After the return of Leif and Biorn to Greenland, the 
relatives of Leif are said to have made several voyages to 
Vinland, where they traded with the natives for furs. In 1121 
a bishop named Eric sailed from Greenland to Vinland, to 
convert the inhabitants to Christianity, and after that nothing 
is recorded of this mysterious country. 



34 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And only dim tradition told the tale 

How once to Vinland ships were known to sail. 

The Christian nations full of holy zeal, 

And, eager to promote their common weal. 

Their armies sent to crush — with iron heel — 

The infidels who ruled the Holy Land, 

And wrest it from the anti-Christian hand ; 

But wild, and fruitless, was the enterprise. 

Though swift the Land of Song to aggrandize, 

And Venice rose to opulence, and fame. 

Great in crusading annals is her name. 

'Twas from her shores that Marco Polo sailed, 

To be by Eastern potentates regaled, 

And courted at the court of Kubla Khan, 

And feasted on the charms of Hindostan, 

But to return, and tell the dazzling tale. 

Which made all eager in his track to sail : 

But he was no crusader, save for gain. 

For this he crossed the Oriental main. 

And traversed countries marvellous to view — 

'J'o Europe, and his vision, strange, and new. 

Then, by example led, and strong of will, 

There sailed from Britain daring Mandeville, 

Who China, and the Indies traversed far, 

From Eastern Asia to old Malabar. 

The great renown of mythic Prester John* — 

The Eastern Christian king — allured him on. 

But though he sought him long, he found him ne'er. 

And so the search abandoned in despair. 

* The name of a so-called mighty Christian monarch whose 
dominions were placed by writers of the mediaeval ])eriod in 
the remote parts of Asia and sometimes in Africa, but regard- 
ing whom such contradictory accounts were given by the early 
travellers that the existence both of him, and his empire, came 
to be doubted. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 35 

He, too, the world a wondrous story told, 
For all that glittered to his eye was gold. 

The magnet and the needle, erst concealed. 
Were, now, by Science to the world revealed. 
From which the compass — grand invention — 

grew — 
A guiding star, to all who trust it true :* 
But, still, 'twas long before the sailor turned 
From ancient ways in which his craft was learned. 
Still on the stars and headlands he relied 
To lead him safely o'er the foaming tide ; 
For slowly to improvement custom yields. 
And man is timid in untraversed fields. 
But soon an era, new, began to dawn. 
And braver spirits to the sea were drawn. 
The Portuguese launched boldly on its breast, 
And winds, their sails, in Africa caressed 
Through sultry regions to the Stormy Cape — t 
Where roved the lion, elephant, and ape — 
And, southward, to Madeira's sunny isle — % 
Where summer seemed eternally to smile — 
Then to the Cape de Verds, and the Azores, 
O'er which, in majesty, the vulture soars. 
By Portugal Phoenicia was surpassed : — 
Her deeds eclipsed the glory of the past ; 
And Carthage from her ashes seemed to rise. 
And wing the steeds of later enterprise. 



* The comi^ass was invented about 1302 by Flavio Gioia, a 
native of the Kingdom of Na])les. 

t Daitholomew Diaz was the first to sail within sight of it. 
This was in i486, when he named it Calio Tormentoso, or the 
Stormy Cape, which was afterwards called the Cape of Good 
Hope. 

t Madeira was discovered in 1419, and the Cape de Verd 
islands and the Azores in 1449. 



36 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

When, suddenly, the startling tidings came — 

To all the nations trompeted by Fame — 

That in the West a New World had been found ; 

And evermore Columbus was renowned. 

So hail to 1492 

In this our 1892. 



NOTE TO THE ANCIENTS ON THE SEA. 

The travels of Marco Polo did much to influence 
the voyage and speculations of Columbus, and who- 
ever wishes to read of these will do well to con- 
sult the English translation of Marco Polo's book 
by William Marsden, in the preparation of wliich 
the latter availed himself, chiefly, of an Italian ver- 
sion in the Venetian edition of Ramusio — pub- 
lished in 1609 — the French translation by Bergeron, 
and an old but untrustworthy Spanish translation. 
The work was originally written in Latin, or the 
Venetian dialect of the Italians. 

Marco Polo, or Paolo — a native of Venice, born 
in the middle of the thirteenth century — was pre- 
ceded in his travels to the far East by his father 
Nicholas Polo, and his father's brother Maffeo Polo, 
who embarked together about the year 1255 on a 
commercial voyage to the Orient. Passing through 
the Mediterranean and the Bosphorus, they arrived 
at Constantinople, then just wrested by the com- 
bined arms of France and Venice, from the Greeks, 
where having disposed of their Italian merchandise 
for jewelry, they set out to trade with the Western 
Tartars, who had overrun many parts of Asia and 
Europe, and were building cities near the shores of 
the Volga. Sailing through the Euxine to the Cri- 
mea they reached the camp of a Tartar prince — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 37 

a descendant of Ghengis Khan— who hospitably en- 
tertained them during the year that they remained 
trading with him. He then became involved in a 
war with the Eastern Tartars, and was defeated ; 
and the Paolos escaped round the head of the Cas- 
pian Sea to Bokhara, where they remained three 
years. Here they met an ambassador of the Grand 
Khan, who prevailed on them to accompany him to 
the court of the latter in Cathay, (China) and after 
several months' march they gained the presence of 
the renowned Kubla Khan, in the city of Cambalu 
— since discovered to have been Pekin,— who 
treated them well, and after gleaning from them 
much knowledge of Western civilization, requested 
them to return as his ambassadors to the Pope, ask- 
ing the Pontiff to send a hundred priests to teach 
Christianity to the learned men of his empire, his 
object having probably been to adopt Christianity 
in order to secure the Pope as an ally against their 
common enemies, the Soldan of Egypt and the 
Saracens. He gave the brothers' letters to the Pope 
in the Tartar language, and a gold tablet as a pass- 
port through his dominions. They reached Acre in 
April, 1269, and afterwards proceeded by way of 
Neo-ropont to Venice. Nicholas Polo found that 
his'wife had died a short time subsequent to his de- 
parture, after giving birth to a son, who was named 
Marco. 

On the return of the brothers to the Grand Khan, 
with letters from Gregory X. and much beside, 
Nicholas took his son Marco with him. As on the 
previous occasion, the Venetians were well received 
by the Khan, who was much interested in the youth 
Marco. The latter soon acquired the four princi- 
pal languages, or dialects, of the empire, and was 
employed by the Khan in missions of importance. 



3S THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

often involving journeys to Mangi (Soulliern China,) 
Cipango (Japan) and other distant points, during 
which he was industrious in gathering information 
concerning tlie country ; and from notes written for 
the sovereign, he afterwards compiled the narrative 
of his travels which was received with the same in- 
credulity with which it is still generally regarded, 
although to a great extent unjustly, the various 
translations of his work, except the English one, 
having abounded in gross perversions of the origi- 
nal text. 

After seventeen years spent with the Khan the 
Polos asked permission to return to their native 
country, which however they failed to obtain ; but 
ambassadors having arrived .from a Mogul Tartar 
prince ruling in Persia, asking for a princess of the 
imperial family as a spouse, Marco Polo succeeded 
in winning the consent of the envoys and the Khan 
to their return by sea to the Persian gulf, A fleet 
of fourteen four-masted ships — some of which had 
crews of two hundred and fifty men each — was ac- 
cordingly fitted out, and victualed for two years, the 
Venetians being allowed to accompany it in conse- 
quence of their superior knowledge of navigation. 
The Khan on their departure gave them valuable 
presents of jewels, silks and other products of the 
country, and authorized them to represent him as 
his ambassadors at the principal courts of Europe. 
After calling at Sumatra and Ceylon, they passed 
on to the southern shore of the Indian peninsula, 
and so entered the Gulf of Persia, and reached the 
port of Olnuiz after a voyage of eighteen months. 
They tarried there for some time, and then travelled, 
for safety, as Tartars of the lowest class, overland 
to Trebizond, whence they journeyed to Constanti- 
nople, Negrepont, and Venice, arriving at the latter 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. j) 

city in 1295, laden with riches. There— so long 
had been their absence— they were recognized by 
none, not even their surviving relatives, and they 
were more like Tartars than Italians in appearance. 
They, however, gave a grand banquet, and as- 
tonished Venice by their magnificent display of 
precious stones, and silk, and velvet ; and the fame 
of their travels soon spread. 

Marco Polo, some months after his return, com- 
manded a galley of the Venetian fleet in an action 
a<^ainst the Genoese fleet, and, having been_ cap- 
tured by the enemy, was taken to Genoa in irons, 
and kept there a close prisoner for a long time. 
It was during this imprisonment that a friend pre- 
vailed upon him to write a narrative of his travels 
and adventures, and in his dungeon he produced 
the work that made his name famous. He event- 
ually retrained his liberty, returned to Venice, mar- 
ried and died there when about seventy years of age. 
A Utile later, namely in 1332, Sir John Mande- 
ville, an Englishman and a scholar, left England 
with' the intention of visiting the remotest countries 
of the East, particularly those described by Marco 
Polo • and embarking at Marseilles visited 1 urkey, 
Armenia, Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Persia, Chaldea, 
Ethiopia, Tartary, Amazonia, and the Indies. Me 
returned to his native country after an absence of 
thirty-four years, where he found himself unknown 
and forgotten, and wrote an account of his travels 
which, like Marco Polo's work, was supposed to 
abound in gross exaggerations; but the descriptions 
of the two authors agreed, and the observations of 
later travellers confirmed the truth of much in both 
works that had been previously doubled. Mande- 
ville died at Liege, France, in 1372, and his narra- 
tive had hardly less influence upon the mind ot 



40 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Columbus than that of Marco Polo, especially that 
portion descriptive of Mangi (Southern China), Ca- 
thay (China proper, where the Grand Khan held his 
court), and Cipango (Japan). 



PART III. 

The Advent of Columbus, 

Born 'neath the sunny, blue, Italian sky — 

Where swains, in serenades, for maidens sigh — 

And bred to labor in a lowly home, 

Behold Columbus ere he learned to roam !* 

From childhood he had ever loved the sea, 

And longed upon its heaving breast to be, 

And other countries than his own to see. 

He heard of Marco Polo, and the East, 

And yearned on tropic shores his eyes to feast. 

For he was full of ardor, and romance, 

And Hope, and Courage sparkled in his glance. 

* Christopher Columbus, the name being written Columbo 
in Italian, was born in Genoa about 1435, '^i^ father being 
Dominica Columbo, a wool-comber in that city. He was the 
oldest of four children, one of whom was a girl, and his two 
brothers were respectively named Bartholomew and Giacomo 
(written Diego in Spanish). Columbus began his seafaring 
life when about fourteen years old in the service of a distant 
relative named Columbo, who cruised in the Mediterranean, 
sometimes in the Genoese service, but generally in commercial 
or piratical ventures. Columbus Latinized his name in his 
letters, and subsequently when in Spain recurred to what he 
supposed to be the original Roman name of the family — 
Colonus — which he abbreviated to Colon in order to adapt it 
to the Castilian tongue. Hence in Spanisli literature he is 
known as Christoval Colon. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 41 

The sea was then the theatre of strife, 

And whoso ranged it led a warlike life, 

For commerce had to rudely fight its way. 

And oft confront the pirate in the fray. 

The feuds of States gave license to his sway, 

And hostile cruisers on the Lombard coast 

Of deeds of blood and havoc long could boast. 

Columbus in this rugged school was trained, 

And, for his daring, praise, and honor gained. 

So much, and 'tis but little, now is known. 

For o'er his youth a veil of doubt is thrown. 

At times against the Infidels he sailed ; 

At times he joined in contests, armed, and mailed, 

When States went forth to battle on the deep. 

And there, in blood, of plunder harvests reap. 

While oft, in peace, he voyaged but for trade, 

And knowledge gleaned, his future course to aid. 

II. 

The rising star of nations on the sea 
Columbus, soon, in Portugal could see, 
And to its shores at length he found his way, 
All eager there a bolder part to play. 
Prince Henry's fame had travelled far and wide, 
And in his deeds his country felt a pride. 
His master-mind to navigation turned — 
A mind in ancient lore profoundly learned — 
And he the future through the past discerned 
As through the darkness Science shed its light, 
Revealing wonders to his mental sight. 
And bringing what was lost again to view. 
For much had perished that the ancients knew. 
For him Columbus admiration felt. 
And wept when at his grave, too soon, he 
knelt, 



42 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For he'd bestowed on Portugal renown, 
And added lustre to his father's crown : 
But with his death that fame began to wane, 
And slowly ebbed through all Alphonso's reign 
Till John the Second mounted to the throne, 
And made the study of the sea his own. 
Whose realm again upon the ocean shone. 
By Africa to Asia he would sail. 
And all the glory of Prince Henry pale. 
Then search the distant Oriental seas. 
And woo the warm and aromatic breeze. 
Till he the realms of Prester John had found. 
And all the world his ships had voyaged round. 
To him Columbus made appeal for aid — 
As to his native land he erst had prayed — ■ 
And all his views before him humbly laid. 
To these the king an ear attentive gave, 
And honored him as learned, as well as brave. 
The scheme was to his wisest men referred. 
Who from Columbus, too, his story heard, 
But then suggested, basely, to the king 
A crafty, and a despicable thing — 
To send a ship to seek the Western shore, 
And rob Columbus of the boon in store. 
The king assented, and the vessel sailed — 
Her mission from the public vision veiled — 
But stormy v/inds along her course prevailed, 
And back she came a floating wreck to port, 
No more the angry Western seas to court. 
The secret of her voyage then was known. 
Which made Columbus, in his spirit, groan, 
And in his indignation he withdrew 
To seek elsewhere a monarch less untrue. 
In poverty, by creditors pursued, 
He fled, o'er wrongs, and blighted hopes, to 
brood. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 43 



III. 

Ere this he fell to Cupid's wiles a prey : — 
A Lisbon maiden stole his heart away, 
And he rejoiced to claim her as his bride, 
And in her beauty felt a lover's pride. 
These were the halcyon days of his career, 
Nor was his after-glory half so dear. 
But ah, alas ! too sweet to last were they 
For cold in death ere long his idol lay. 
And he was left in solitude, and woe, 
Whose bitterness the widowed only know. 

IV. 

While gazing, as from Pisgah, toward the west — 

With searching orbs that knew but little rest — 

Columbus saw, in thought, the promised land — 

Which he believed to be the Asian strand — 

And deemed his earthly mission great, and grand, 

And near him felt Jehovah's guiding hand. 

To heathen realms he would the Cross convey, 

And from their idols pagans lead away. 

And teach them to the Lord of Hosts to pray. 

Convinced that he was born to mighty deeds 

He fretted little o'er his present needs, 

But on the future cast prophetic eyes, 

And proudly glowed with lofty enterprise; 

Nor sank beneath neglect or ridicule. 

Nor heeded those who branded him a fool, 

For self-reliance made him strong, and bold, 

His heart unchilled though all the world was cold. 

V. 

Columbus to Genoa turned again. 
But evil days his country suffered then. 



44 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And, with disasters, enterprise declined, 

And slie was left by others far behind. 

Though had she grasped her son's extended hand 

He'd soon have led her to the promised land, 

And raised her sinking fortunes at a bound, 

And made her more than e'er before renowned ; — 

So blighting is adversity to all 

On whose career its shadows chance to fall. 

VI. 

With expectations keen he turned to Spain — 
In Ferdinand and Isabella's reign — 
And there for aid among its nobles, sought, 
But from his supplications gathered naught, 
Though to the Queen a letter he obtained. 
By which a royal hearing he had gained. 
Spain then was in her glory, and success 
Seemed all her arms, and arts, alike to bless. 
Granada's hosts were yielding to her sword. 
While to their mountains fled the Moorish horde. 
Yet on the sea her flag was nigh unknown. 
Where Portugal, in prowess, stood alone. 
Her Court was like a military camp, 
And all around was heard the army's tramp, 
While war engrossed the chivalry of Spain. 
Long waited there Columbus, but in vain : — 
And while he lingered Cupid's flying dart 
Again was lodged within his yearning heart, 
And in a blooming Senorita's smiles 
He dreamt of glory, and the Western isles. 
Yet seemed to be of circumstance the sport. * 
At length to Salamanca moved the Court, 

* While lingering in Cordova, says Irving, he became at- 
tached to Beatrix Euriquez, a lady of noble family, though in 
reduced circumstances. Their connection was not sanctioned 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 45 

Where he, his scheme, expounded to the king, 

And soared from Science, high on Fancy's wing. 

The monarch called a council of the wise 

To ponder well the splendid enterprise. 

But these upon him gazed with jealous eyes, 

And heard with incredulity his views, 

Then voted his petition to refuse. 

Long anxious years had passed the while away, 

And weary he had grown of cold delay, 

And of his toilsome journeys to the king, 

Whose camp was like a bird with restless wing, 

So oft it moved to meet anew the foe 

And hurl in swift succession blow on blow. 

He felt — ah, keenly — disappointment's sting — 

And anxious thoughts were prone his heart to 

wring — 
Though from the court, to soothe, a message came. 
Then he resolved in France to make a name. 
'Twas as he made his journey to the shore 
To leave behind him Spain for evermore, 
He in a learned prior found a friend, * 
Who ofifered freely welcome aid to lend, 
And summoned men of science to his side, f 
To whom Columbus spoke with conscious pride, 
And for his bold design approval won. 
On to success his march had now begun, 



by marriage, but he cherished sentiments of respect and ten- 
derness for her to his dying day. She was the mother of his 
second son Fernando, born in the following year, (1487) 
whom he always treated on terms of perfect equality with his 
legitimate son Diego, and who after his dSath became his 
historian. 

* Among these was Martin Alonzo Pinzon, a wealthy 
navigator, of Palos. 

t Juan Perez de Marchena, of the convent of La Rabida, 
who had once been confessor to Queen Isabella, 



46 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

For they to Isabella made appeal, 

And prayed her for the glory of Castile 

To aid Columbus in his project, grand, 

Ere he departed for another land ; 

And with a smile of promise she replied : — 

"To serve the cause of Science gives me pride, 

And I would gladly see him at my side. 

So hither let him journey, nor delay. 

Who knows but he may find some new Cathay ? " 

And back to court Columbus then returned 

To hear the words for which his spirit yearned, 

And meet a kindly greeting from the crown, 

Which then was bathed in splendor and renown. 

Granada had surrendered unto Spain, 

And Moorish kings for ever ceased to reign. 

He saw the last of these — Boabdil — yield 

To king and queen upon the battle field, 

While the Alhambra rose before their eyes, 

Whose keys he gave the victors with a sigh 

Amid the sounds of jubilee and song. 

And loud rejoicing of a loyal throng. 

Eight hundred years of warfare now were o'er. 

And Moor and Christian ne'er would battle more. 

Triumphant o'er the Crescent was the Cross, 

And Moors alone bewailed the Moorish loss. 

No grander scene e'er marked that stirring age, 

Which fills so glowing an historic page — 

Romantic age of picturesque delights 

When chivalry with courage armed its knights. 

At length the Court to hear Columbus turned, 
But with surprise his expectations learned. 
Demands so vast and princely were refused 
As terms to which the nation was unused, 
And so again Columbus went away 
Resolved no more on Spanish soil to stay, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 47 

And sad with disappointment and shagreen. 

'Twas then his friend, St. Angel, sought the queen,* 

And prayed her yet Columbus to recall 

Ere he embarked to glory reap for Gaul, 

And urged the grandeur of his enterprise, 

And that its fruits her realm would aggrandize, 

Till in her speaking eyes he read consent. 

In haste a gallant horseman then was sent 

To overtake Columbus on his way. 

And bid him seek the queen without delay, f 

Her greeting when she met him was benign, 

And cheered his drooping spirits more than wine. 

" I undertake this enterprise alone," 

Exclaimed Queen Isabella from her throne, 

"And I will pledge the jewels that I own 

The cost of this exploring fleet to pay. 

And pray for its success from day to day." 

But no ! Columbus shrank from gifts like these, 

Though much he longed to range untraversed seas, 

And so the needed coin St. Angel gave, % 

The jewels of the noble queen to save. 



*Luis de St. Angel, receiver of the ecclesiastical revenues 
of Arragon. 

t St. Angel advanced seventeen thousand florins out of the 
coffers of King Ferdinand, who in deference to Isabella's zeal 
consented to her undertaking the expedition, and the queen was 
thus saved from the necessity of pledging her jewels to defray 
its cost. 

} The court was then at Santa Fe in the Vega or plain of 
Granada, and it was here that the capitulations with Columbus 
were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella on April 17, 1492, to 
the effect that if he made any discoveries he should hold the 
office of viceroy by land, and admiral by sea in and about 
the new territories and be entitled to a tenth part of the profits 
arising from the productions and commerce of the countries 
discovered, and these dignities and privileges were to be he- 
reditary in his family. The discovery of a western passage to 
India was the great object of his expedition. 



THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 



QUEEN ISABELLA. 

She was a woman matchless in her grace, 

And beautiful alike in form and face, 

With all about her lovely and refined, 

And with expression eloquent of mind, 

For she was grand of soul, and great of thought, 

And in the path of duty glory sought. 

Her features were madonna-like, and fair. 

And Nature crowned her well with auburn hair. 

And gave her eyes that in their sparkling blue 

Seemed to reflect the sky's divinest hue. 

Her teeth were pearls, her cheeks were like the rose, 

And animation blended with repose. 

Not tall, nor short, but happily between, 

And with a temper charming, and serene, 

With dignity, and witchery combined. 

And feelings that for all were ever kind — ■ 

With gravity, and sweetness, mingled well — 

She wove around her something like a spell, 

And added lustre to the Spanish throne. 

Which ne'er as in her reign so grandly shone. 

But though she ruled the fortunes of Castile, 

She to the king of Aragon would kneel, 

And labor for his cause with loving zeal. 

The wife was ne'er forgotten in the queen. 

And on his love her heart would fondly lean. 



KING FERDINAND. 

He was a man less handsome than his bride, 

But little, still, to him had been denied. 

Of middle stature, and athletic mould. 

Ambitious, and perfidious, and bold. 

With thirst for conquest, and with lust of gold ; — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 49 

His features ruddy with a healthy glow ; — 

His temper even and to anger slow ; — 

His forehead broad, and rising clear, and high. 

And with a cheery sparkle in his eye ; — 

His hair a sunny chestnut in its shade, 

While round his mouth a kind expression played ; — 

As quick to learn as he was prone to teach, 

While sharp of voice, and fluent in his speech ; — 

In manner gracious, and in judgment grave, 

And as a soldier cool, strategic, brave ; — 

A crafty statesman skilled in worldly wiles, 

And hiding his discomfiture in smiles; — 

A zealot in the Church to which he bowed, 

And of himself, and his achievements proud ; — 

In habits simple, with expanded views, 

And knowing well how men and means to use ; — 

An egotist with method in his ways, 

Who courted, yea, and gained a nation's praise : — 

Such was the king by Isabella loved. 

Who, too, was by her consort well beloved, 

And Ferdinand of Aragon was blest 

To win a throne within so true a breast. 



PART IV. 



The First Voyage of Columbus, and the Discov- 
ery OF THE New World. 

Eighteen long, weary years had passed away, 
And Time had streaked his hair with lines of gray, 
Since he — Columbus — first his task essayed. 
And humbly help from kings and princes prayed, 
While poverty, neglect, and ridicule 
Had proved the world a hard, and bitter school. 



50 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But now he saw the breaking dawn at last, 
And in his joy forgot the frowning past. 
Yet while receiving thus the royal aid 
He still a share of all the burden paid, 
Though forced to beg the lucre as a loan, 
For not ■a peso he could call his own.* 
By Nature he was blessed with comely looks, 
And wealth of mind not unimproved by books. f 
Tall, lithe, and stately, and of graceful mien — 
His soul exalted far above the mean — 
With visage long, and florid, and with eyes 
That seemed to speak of dauntless enterprise — 
With judgment keen, and prudence in his speech. 
And by example always prone to teach. 
Few more than he were fitted to adorn. 
Or felt for motives base a deeper scorn. 

Outside those narrow seas where land was seen 
The sails of Commerce then had rarely been. 
Though long ere this the compass came to guide 
The lonely wand'rers o'er the trackless tide. 

* He made the stipulation to bear an eighth of the expenses 
of the expedition in consequence of the taunt that he de- 
manded princely emoluments, while bearing no portion of 
the cost, and he is supposed to have fulfilled it through the 
assistance of the Pinzons of Palos, three of whom — brothers — 
accompanied him in his voyage, two as commanders of vessels, 
and the other as pilot of his flagship. 

t Columbus was of good figure, rather tall and largely built, 
with a long visage and commanding aspect, an aquiline nose, 
somewhat high cheek-bones, gray eyes, and a clear and ruddy 
complexion. He was strong and active, and gifted with a 
lofty mind and sound judgment, witty and pleasant, agreeable 
in speech, moderately grave, mild and affable, discrete in con- 
versation, and habitually won affection and respect. He was, 
moreover, invariably temperate in living and modest in dress, 
and not only skilled in navigation but could read Latin and 
compose verses. 



• OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 51 

Still sent the East her riches to the West — 
The glowing East in gorgeous colors dressed — 
Across those waters which in times of old 
O'er Pharaoh, and his hosts — engulfing — rolled, 
And o'er that other sea where Grecian isles 
Bask — in their beauty — in Apollo's smiles : 
And men who sailed the sea were yet afraid 
To pass beyond the beaten tracks of trade. 
But from these narrow bounds he now would break, 
And lead the world to follow in his wake. 
For western seas invited keels to plough, 
And he foresaw new countries at the prow. 
Thus, when the scheme Columbus had in view 
From mouth to mouth through wond'ring Palos flew, 
Men shrank from such a voyage as from death, 
And women spoke his name with bated breath 
In fear that those they loved might venture where 
Their lot would be his tragic fate to share. 
At first he strove in vain to find a crew, 
For daring, like himself, there were but few ; ■ 
Yet one by one, at length, he round him drew 
A reckless band — some false, and others true,* 
With many, too, impressed against their will, 
Though they had little of the sailors' skill. 
The Pinzons, who were famous on the sea — 
And who success could even then foresee — 
Toiled to promote the enterprise, with zeal, 
And their own ardor made their comrades feel : 
And thus, at last, the ships prej^ared to sail 
The New World to the Old World to unveil. 
While many cried — " Alas I they'll ne'er return, 
Nor of their dismal fate we e'er shall learn ; 

* Many of these were pressed into the service against their 
will by royal orders, and two of the caravels were seized ujion 
for the expedition, the third one being furnished by the 
Pinzons. 



52 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For of a phantom land they go in quest 
Across a sea with tempesi;, on its breast, 
And he — Colon — and all with him allied, 
Will perish on the waters that they ride ! " 

II. 

On Palos brightly shone the August sun, 
When boomed upon the air the parting gun, 
Which unto many sounded like a knell, 
Who, wrapt in gloom and sadness, siglied — " Fare- 
well." 
All who adventured, ere they left the shore 
Confessed their sins, and vowed to sin no more, 
And took the Holy Sacrament in awe, 
Each seeming nearer, then, to God to draw. 
In Him alone his trust Columbus placed. 
And, hero-like, the future boldly faced. 
Then slowly sailed the pioneers away ; 
And wives and maidens knelt, to weep and pray, 
And mothers mourned for sons thus torn apart. 
And sisters felt for brothers sad at heart. 

The ships were small, and scantily equipped, 

With crews on board that ne'er before had shipped. 

Two caravels as open as a boat. 

And one with decks, comprised the fleet afloat — 

The Saint Maria, Piiita, Nina — three — 

The boldest barks that ever ranged the sea. 

The first of these Columbus called his own ; 

The Pinta was as Martin Pinzon's known ; 

His brother of the Nina held command, 

And so they vanished slowly from the land. 

One hundred souls, and twenty more, they bore,- 

The world behind, and all a void before.* 

* The little fleet sailed from Palos, or rather from the ad- 
jacent bar of Saltes — a small island formed by the arms of 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 53 



III. 

Queen Isabella prayed that gentle gales 
Would fill the sanguine navigator's sails, 
And waft him to those shores he yearned to find, 
Believing that for this was he designed. 
She for Columbus felt a friendship true. 
Befriending him when friends, indeed, were few. 
And watched the vessels gliding from the view — ■ 
To seek a Western World beyond the blue — 
And waved the while, a womanly adieu. 

IV. 

From roaring storms the ships a shelter found 
At the Canary Islands, weather-bound. 
But soon again before a rising breeze 
They wooed the beauty of inconstant seas. 
Day after day due westward on they sailed. 
And naught but sea and sky the sight regaled. 
High on the foaming billows they were tossed 
As though upon an angry ocean lost, 



the Odiel in front of the town of Huelva, in Spain. The little 
fleet sailed on August 3, I/192. It was manned by a crew of 
ninety men — although other persons, making in all one hun- 
dred and twenty, were on board — and it was victualled for one 
year, the expedition being under the jjatronage of Ferdinand 
and Isabella, sovereigns of the united kingdoms of Arragon 
and Castile. The vessel in which Columbus sailed and which 
he commanded was called the Santa Maria, the second 
Pinta, and the third Nina, Martin Alonzo Pinzon com- 
manding the Pinta, and Vincent Yanez Pinzon, his brother, 
the Nina, while Francisco Martin, a third brother, sailed with 
Columbus as pilot. The squadron called at the Canary Is- 
lands and on September 6 sailed from Goniera, one of the 
westernmost of the group, on the voyage of discovery. Co- 
lumbus at this time was in his fifty-ninth year. 



54 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Where man had never dared to sail before. 
To timid ears a dirge was in its roar, 
And anxious eyes sought vainly for the shore, 
While lips were heard to murmur — " Nevermore ! " 
The albatross was ever in their wake, 
And on the air the cry of gulls would break, 
But, saving these, no signs of life they saw. 
The solitude impressed their minds with awe. 
This solitude of waters, deep and grand. 
Increased their longing for the sight of land, 
And welcomed they each seabird as it flew 
Above that dark and heaving waste of blue. 
Before them was the vast untraversed sea; 
Behind, the land they ne'er again might see. 
And homes and hearts that fondly were re- 
called 
As day by day they felt the more appalled ; 
And strong men uttered lamentations loud, 
And by despair the proud were lowly bowed, 
While rugged natures shed repentant tears, 
And yielded — at the prospect — to their fears. 
Columbus tried their troubled souls to calm, 
And shed around him Consolation's balm 
By painting pictures of a fairy-land 
Where gems and gold lay sparkling on the 

strand. 
And all was bright, and picturesquely grand. 
Erelong that land of riches and delight. 
Would gladden with its loveliness the sight; 
So he appealed to all to trust in God, 
Nor fear the stroke of His avenging rod. 
For they would do His work across the seas. 
And such a task would great Jehovah please. 
He strove their apprehensions to allay 
By making less the distance, day by day. 
Than they from Spanish shores had borne away, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 55 

And with success he deftly plied the ruse 

And kept his course a secret from his crews.* 

The broad Atlantic only met his view 

As day by day he scanned the ocean blue. 

On toward the Western Hemisphere he steered. 

Sublime in faith and courage, naught he feared. 

V. 

At matins, and at vespers, morn, and eve, 
He asked that all a blessing might receive. 
And humbly knelt — with all on board — to pray. 
And all his sins before the Lord to lay ; 
And chanted hymns with deep religious zeal — 
The Christian fervor he was prone to feel. 
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, he cried — ■ 
*' Oh ! lead us safely o'er the waters, wide, 
And to the promised land our vessels guide, 
Where we may spread the glory of the Cross, 
For all beside it, on the earth, is dross! " 
His lion heart religious fervor fired. 
To spread the Cross devoutly he aspired. 
Romantic age of faith and chivalry. 
Of bold crusaders and knight-errantry! 

VI. 

The pilots with alarm were vaguely filled 

When they — who deemed themselves in science 

skilled — 
Saw, for the first time, on a stormy day 
The needle in the compass point away — 

* Columbus kept two reckonings or log-books, in one of which 
the actu.-il facts were noted, while in the other the real dis- 
tance sailed was understated. The latter was open to general 
inspection, while the former was kept secret. 



56 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And vary westward — from the Polar star. 

This seemed, at once, their enterprise to mar, 

And apprehended some a wat'ry grave. 

'Twas well Columbus stood among them brave, 

And reasons for this variation gave 

To check the swelling tide of their dismay, 

And lead them to continue on their way. 

To him, as to his crew, 'twas strange, and new, 

To see the needle thus appear untrue. 

And still its cause remains from science veiled.* 

But full of faith and courage on he sailed. 

Eight days at sea, and lo ! upon their view 

A tropic bird, and stately heron, flew. 

And kindled hopes of land not far away. 

Delusive sign, and brief the heron's stay ! 

Fresh and propitious breezes filled their sails, 

And once they passed a pair of spouting whales, 

While bright the skies, and bland the air had grown 

As by degrees they neared the torrid zone; 

And drifting weeds, some yellow, and some green, 

In patches, here and there, at times, were seen, 

While tunny fish about the vessels played. 

Columbus for the land devoutly prayed ; 

And in the flocks of birds that came and went 

He omens saw as if Creator-sent ; 

But still no land appeared before his view. 

Again despondent grew his anxious crew, 

Who feared the wind for ever westward blew. 

And that to Europe none could e'er return 

Howe'er they might for home and kindred yearn. 

A transient calm but kindled fresh alarm. 

And ev'ry change to them foreboded harm. 

*It was on the 13th of September, 1492, that, for the first 
time, Columbus noticed tlie variation of the needle, a phenom- 
enon now familiar to us, but the cause of which is one of those 
mysteries of nature science has thus far failed to solve. 



OA' THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 57 

The very weeds that floated on the tide 
Seemed to their eyes a sunken shore to hide, 
And oft the lead by trembling hands was thrown, 
And oft escaped from troubled breasts a groan. 
They little cared how brightly Phoibus shone, 
Or how delicious was the balmy air : 
Their thoughts were sadly verging on despair. 

At length was heard the thrilling cry of " Land ! " 
And from the Finta Pinzon waved his hand, 
And pointed toward an object on his lee 
Where the blue vault celestial kissed the sea. 
Columbus gazed upon the welcome sight 
With .feelings of devotion, and delight, 
And then upon his knees, rejoicing, fell. 
While for the Mass was tolled the Vesper bell ; 
And all the sailors joined in solemn prayer. 
And thanked the Lord for land, and wind so fair. 
They climbed the rigging, and with straining 

eyes, 
Amid the setting sun's resplendent dyes, 
Gazed on what seemed to be the promised shore; 
But night descended, and 'twas seen no more. 
The morning light no sign of land revealed. 
And ill their disappointment all concealed. 
The dark, delusive cloud had passed away, 
And they were filled again with strange dismay — 
All save Columbus ; — he was hopeful still. 
And onward voyaged with determined will. 
While with consoling words he strove to cheer. 
And said — "I feel, my comrades, land is near! " 
The sea was calm, the weather warm, and clear, 
And sailors swam the deep with little fear, 
While dolphins oft disported by their side, 
And flying-fish leapt gaily from the tide, 
And lighting on the vessels, gasping, died. 



S8 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Days passed away, and westward sailed the barks : 
The waves by night showed phosphorescent sparks, 
While sun-like in its splendor shone the moon, 
And 'mid the darkness shed the light of noon. 
From time to time the cry of " Land ! " was 

heard — 
And there was ever magic in the word — 
But just as oft it proved a barren sound, 
For only clouds, instead of isles, were found. 
Yet flights of birds appeared from day to day, 
And told them that a shore before them lay. 
They saw again a heron in the sky. 
And by and by a pelican came nigh, 
And then a duck was near them seen to fly. 
They sighed for land, with expectations high, 
But disappointment followed as before. 
For all in vain they searched the ocean o'er. 
Then turbulent the saddened seamen grew, 
Exclaiming loudly that they'd much to rue ; 
And hard Columbus found it to assuage 
The anger that was swelling into rage. 

VII. 

' All hail Columbus and his fleet of yore — 
The barks that sought and found our New World 

shore — 
Santa Afaria, Pinta, Nina, three 
As gallant ships as ever sailed the sea. 
Behold them sailing toward the great unknown — 
The grandest mission that the world has known. 

Due west a month from fair Gomera's isle, 
And Nature on their voyage seemed to smile, 
. But still no land the day, or night, revealed. 
Calm lay the ocean, like a treeless field. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 59 

Then up in mutiny tlie sailors rose : 

Near came the expedition to a close, 

For overboard their leader they would throw, 

Then steer the squadron east, and homeward go. 

He knew the plot their terror had designed, 

But went among them hopeful, brave, and kind, 

Yet firm of purpose, with unbroken will. 

In ruling men he showed a hero's skill. 

When to defy, and when to yield he knew, 

Though prone a course pacific to pursue. 

Defiance now was pictured in his eye. 

And he resolved to conquer or to die. 

Still to allay the clamor he replied — 

While signs of land around him multiplied — 

To those who prayed him to return to Spain, 

Nor further westward plough the landless main — 

" In three days more, or less, we'll land discern — ■ 

That land for which we all so deeply }earn. 

For this in patience I would have you wait. 

Nor curse so soon your captain, and your fate. 

But if this, my prediction, proves untrue, 

And still no land should burst upon our view. 

Then westward shall our ships no longer sail. 

But courage, hearts, we were not born to fail ! " 

VIII. 

The next day came and waned, yet still the eye — 

Save birds, and land-grown weeds that floated by — 

Saw naught save ocean and the crowning sky — 

A waste of waters, mighty, deep, sublime, 

Immense, and grand ; immutable as time. 

But suddenly upon its glassy tide 

A bough with crimson berries was espied, 

So fresh, and green, and eloquent of land, 

That near indeed now seemed the western strand ; 



6o THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And then a staff, with carvings rude, and quaint, 

And colored here and there as if with paint; 

While, soon, a reed and herbage followed these, 

And woodland odors floated on the breeze. 

Aside the gloom of mutiny' was cast, 

And all regretted now the angry past. 

By sanguine expectations they were buoyed. 

And played the antics of the overjoyed. 

Each mast was climbed with willing hands, and feet, 

And eyes were strained the nearing land to greet. 

The breeze grew fresher with departing day, 

And swiftly sailed the vessels on their way. 

The sun descending ushered in the night. 

And then the rising moon diffused her light, 

And with her silver sheen arrayed the ships. 

In fervent prayer Columbus moved his lips, 

And on the deck stood gazing toward the west, 

Too eager for the land to covet rest : 

And, as he gazed, far off there met the sight 

A torch — a light, which filled him with delight. 

It swayed as though 'twere borne along the shore, 

Or by some skiff, the waters carried o'er. 

And then it vanished to appear no more. 

But ere the dawn the Pinto's signal-gun 

Told that Columbus had his triumph won. 

While land was seen two leagues or more away.* 

All longed that night to see the break of day, 

And sounds of mirth and revelry were heard. 

For ev'ry breast with thrilling joy was stirred. 



* The light was first seen by Columbus at ten o'clock on the 
night of October ii, 1492, and at two o'clock on the follow- 
ing morning the signal-gun of land in sight was fired by the 
Pinta. It was first descried by Rodrigo Sanchez, but the 
reward was subsequently adjudged to the Admiral for having 
previously discovered the light. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 6i 



IX. 

The welcome morning broke divinely bright, 
And — lo ! — a scene enchanting met the sight. 
An island like a paradise appeared, 
Toward which the ships by wond'ring crews were 

steered, 
And, by the shore, they anchored in a bay. 
Their masts and rigging with their banners gay, 
While warm, and sunny, was the fragrant air, 
And all around was picturesque, and fair. 
There, 'mid the beauties of a tropic view, 
Where Flora gemmed the scene with ev'ry hue. 
And palm-trees nodded, 'neath the blushing sky, 
In prayer Columbus raised his eyes on high. 
And seemed in thought beyond the world to fly. 
And uttered thanks, with reverential soul, 
To Him who'd led him to this splendid goal.* 
The problem now was solved, the triumph won. 
And, through Columbus, God the work liad done. 

Yet ere he gazed upon the promised land. 
He felt, for days, that it was near at hand. 
And when he saw the blazing faggot gleam, 
It seemed but the fulfilment of his dream — 
The dream that he had cherished from his youth, 
And which he deemed a vision of the truth 

*This was a small island in about 25 degrees North lat- 
itude to which Columbus gave the name of San Salvador. 
There he landed on October 12, 1492, thirty-five days after leav- 
ing the Canary Islands. 'I'he natives called the island Guana- 
hani, and it is supposed to have been one of the Bahamas in 
the West Indies now known as San Salvador or Cat Island. 
Historians, however, differ as to whether it was the island in 
question, Watling's Island or Turk's Island. But the United 
States has decided in favor of the claim of Watling's Island 
to this distinction. 



62 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

By the Almighty opened to his view, 
So that he thus His holy work might do. 
He looked not in amazement on the isle, 
But with a calm, and self-contented smile, 
While all beside him were with wonder filled, 
And by the pleasure of the prospect thrilled. 
No spires and minarets he there beheld. 
But visions of Cathay before him swelled. 

X. 

At early morn the boats were armed and manned, 

The rowers plied their oars, and from the band 

Came stirring music as they neared the land. 

Where groups of natives studded all the strand. 

Columbus stepped 'mid martial pomp ashore. 

While in his hand a naked sword he bore, 

And o'er him waved the banner of Castile. 

Then he, and all his men, prepared to kneel, 

And kiss the ground, in joy and thankful prayer, 

For safe deliv'rance through Almighty care. 

" This isle I name San Salvador ! " he cried, 

" And may no woe its future e'er betide I" 

And then a cross he planted in the soil. 

And prayed Jehovah on his work would smile. 

" And ye," said he, then turning to his crew, 

" Be unto me, and to your country, true, 

And each his duty, uncomplaining, do, 

And my commands implicitly obey; 

So shall ye reap the riches of Cathay, 

Add to the splendor of your sov'reigns' reign, 

And, as crusaders, crowns of glory gain!" 

To this they all responded with a cheer. 

And some among them shed Contrition's tear 

For outrage, and for insolence of theirs. 

And begged forgiveness in appealing prayers, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 63 

And in the future blind submission vowed, 
As, seeking favor, they before him bowed. 
" To all," said he, " a pardon I extend : 
And may each arm our common cause defend. 
And God his help in time of trouble lend." 



XL 

The natives gathered round with eager eyes. 
Kind, naked, simple, and in vague surprise ; 
And wondered whence the strangers came, and 

why ? 
If from worlds submarine, or from the sky t 
And if from sun, or moon, or star on high, 
Rode they on clouds, or winged they thence their 

way. 
And if they purposed long on earth to stay ? 
They looked upon their armor's flashing steel, 
And on the waving standard of Castile, 
And on the scarlet dress Columbus wore. 
And on the sword that in his hand he bore, 
And marvelled at the splendors that they saw. 
Their minds imbued with rev'rence and with awe. 
Then they approached, and touched the strangers' 

hands — 
The wondrous beings from the distant lands — 
While some their hair, and faces, felt, with nods 
Which showed how much they likened them to gods. 
The natives brought them sweet cassava bread, 
And all their simple fare before them spread — 
The yuca's yam-like, and sustaining root, 
And — fresh from Nature's garden — blushing fruit. 
Columbus gave them ornaments of glass, 
And colored caps, and jingling bells of brass. 
Whose like, so strange, they ne'er had seen before, 
And which with pride, and wild delight, they wore. 



64 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

They deemed them gifts from reahiis beyond the 

skies, 
And toward the sun they turned adoring eyes. 
Columbus gazed around in wonder, too. 
For men like these were to his vision new. 
So tawny, copper-hued, and beardless — they, 
With painted bodies, looked fantastic, gay ; 
While straight, and coarse, their raven hair caressed 
Their stalwart shoulders, — this with feathers dressed. 
Not tall in stature, nor too small in mould, 
And wearing in their nostrils rings of gold ; 
With foreheads high, and eyes as black as night, 
And in their jetty beauty strangely bright. 
Their arms were lances, barbed with flint, or bone, 
Which oft for game in air, or sea, were thrown ; 
Their barks canoes, with paddle-oars supplied. 
In which they ventured far the sea to ride, 
While calabashes baled them as they sped, — 
Nor felt of ocean more than land in dread. 
For long upon the waters they could swim. 
Displaying grace and beauty in each limb. 
Their reed-built huts were circular and high, 
And tapered as they rose, and, always nigh. 
Their hammocks swung beneath protecting trees, 
Where they reclined in indolence and ease, 
While all were quick, and eloquent to teach 
By hieroglyphic signs that served for speech. 

'Twas thus in 1492 

The Old World here espoused the virgin New. 

Here 1492 gave praise. 

While 1892 gives bays, 

And glorifies that great and grand event. 

All hail Columbus ! — thou by Heaven sent. 

The New World shakes immortal hands with thee 

O great explorer of the western sea. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 65 



XTI. 

Fruits in abundance blushed upon the trees, 

Kissed by the sun, and fondled by the breeze. 

Ananas * with their tints of green and gold, 

Of luscious juices, and aroma, told. 

And figs, and dates, and mangoes thickly grew 

Beneath that sky of deep, unclouded blue. 

The pomegranate with its crimson dye, — 

And plump bananas, tempting to the e3'e, — 

Hung o'er the cactus which its dainties bore, 

While, near, the granadilla proffered more; 

The sweet and creamy cherimoya, too, 

The gazer's longing admiration drew. 

The plantain held its clusters to the view. 

And from the lofty palm-tree's spreading crown 

Brown cocoanuts, like mammoth eyes, looked down. 

Flocks of flamingoes, of a scarlet hue 

With cardinals as bright, appeared to view. 

And golden breasted orioles — a few — 

WHiile humming-birds among the flowers flew. 

And feathered songsters through the groves were 

heard 
Led by the music of the mocking-bird. 

Ga}', lovely Phrynes in the ocean's foam 
Their forms disported as if there at home, 
Their long and lustrous tresses, raven black. 
O'er brown, well-rounded shoulders streaming back, 
Their wild eyes sparkling, eloquent and bright, 
And darker than the ebon shades of night. 
While mirth and laughter from their lips escaped, 
As dripping from the sea they came, undraped, 

* Pineapples. 



66 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 



XIII. 

The Old World and the New, thus, first in time, 

Stood face to face in this resplendent clime. 

The ocean glistened, bright as molten gold, 

And floods of sunlight bathed each headland 

bold. 
The sylvan glories of the hills and dales 
Surpassed the fairy scenes in Eastein tales. 
The wealth of leaf and plenitude of bloom 
Made banishment to this a happy doom. 
The graceful palm-trees spread their feath'ry fronds, 
And flow'ring creepers held them in their bonds. 
Gigantic leaves and mammoth trunks aspired 
To reach the sun, by him with ardor fired. 
All earth and sky, with colors bright and gay, 
Divinely shone on that propitious day. 
Columbus gazed in admiration long. 
And for his wonder found no fitting tongue. 
The very fish that sported in the tide 
Were with the rainbow's colors brightly dyed, 
And, flashing gem-like, darted to and fro, 
Then slowly vanished in the depths below — 
Those depths so clear, so beautifully blue 
They seemed to wear the sapphire's brightest hue. 

XIV. 

Here man was in his blissful savage state, 
Ere dawned upon his view his future fate. 
With earth's abundant blessings at his feet, 
And all around him Eden-like and sweet — 
A stranger to all artificial needs, 
And knowing naught of Persians or of Medes, 
Or of the world's vast tide of evil deeds. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 67 

All Nature's treasures equall}' were shared 

With those who to his clime had thus repaired, 

And free to all was all the island's wealth. 

Temptation there was ne'er to take by stealth, 

For " mine and thine " were words to them unknown, 

Where all alike deemed all they saw their own. 

Beneath tiie easy patriarchal sway 

Of native chiefs they passed their lives away 

In indolent enjoyment of their lot, 

W^ith none against their happy peace to plot. 

Poetical felicity was here. 

It seemed like some imaginary sphere — 

Some bright and glad Utopian display. 

And life itself an endless holiday. 

Exempted from the penalty of toil 

By rich uncultured harvests of the soil 

Existence brought perennial delight, 

And picturesque was all that met the sight. 

XV. 

Columbus, eager to pursue his way — 

Like Marco Polo at an earlier day — 

Until he found the splendors of Cathay,* 

And made a convert of the Tartar Khan, 

And realized his dream of old Japan, 

To which he thought the waters soon would lead — 

Prayed kindly winds his caravels to speed. 

And tales of Eastern travels oft would read. 

By steering- west erelong he hoped to find 

The glowing East, for Science ill defined 

In those dark ages how the earth was shaped. 

And Prejudice the truth with error draped. 



* Cathay was first mentioned by Marco Polo, China, it is 
supposed, being the country he referred to. 



68 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

He thought that now in Asian wilds he sailed, 
And mighty cities soon would rise unveiled: 
Nor dawned as yet upon his mental view 
The thought that near him, in those regions new, 
America in tranquil slumber lay 
Yet to eclipse the glories of Cathay. 

San Salvador was slowly left behind 
Before a gentfe sail-caressing wind. 
And, with the squadron went a dusky few — 
As pilots in the quarters of the crew. 
From these Columbus tried to learn their tongue, 
And vowed that they should speak his own ere- 
long.* 
And as they sailed bright islands rose to sight, 
Which in the gazers kindled new delight. 
By signs the natives told of isles of gold, 
And all were ripe their wonders to behold. 
And felt that boundless wealth at last was theirs, 
And, in their gladness, uttered fervent prayers. 

XVI. 

America before their vision beamed. 

And ev'rywhere the land with riches teemed. 

America met European eyes. 

And kindled in them infinite surprise. 

The grandest revelation of the sea 

Was this the brave Columbus lived to see. 

Discovery no greater e'er could be. 



* Columbus sailed from San Salvador, taking seven of the 
natives with him to act as interpreters, on the 15th of October, 
1492, and discovered a number of other islands, three of the 
largest of which he named resi)ectively : Conception, Fernan- 
dina, and Isabella. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 69 

A vast and blooming wilderness was this 

That filled his cup of life with hope and bliss. 

Hurrah! for 1492 — 

Hurrah ! in 1892. 

Four hundred years of glory lie between — 

The grandest progress that the world has seen. 

The clear and balmy air refreshed, like wine, 

And, for a hundred miles, were seen to shine 

The mountain heights on Porto Rico's isle. 

The ocean's murmur on each smiling shore, 

But rarely swelled into a stormy roar. 

And shells and corals marked the tidal line — 

Bright jewels kissed, and scattered, by the brine. 

In quiet bays grave pelicans would dive 

The whole day long, and with each other strive 

For sprat-like fish that swam the liquid way. 

Like lightning they would fall upon their prey, 

And sail in silence, holding wing and brealh — 

So still, they looked like messengers of Death. 

The sombre shadows by the rain-clouds cast. 

Would blacken the blue ocean as they passed — 

Their sombre forms in azure heavens massed — 

While the deep waters glittered on each side — 

A placid, vast, and grandly gilded tide — 

A lovely scene of vivid light and shade, 

Where sea and sky in beauty were arrayed. 

The welcome rain the gaudy flowers fed. 

And gorgeous rainbows painted overhead ; 

Not one alone, but two, or three, or four 

Magnificently spanned the islands o'er — 

One from a valley climbing up the mount — 

As if its top 'twere eager to surmount — 

Then sweeping through the sky, and to the 

sea — 
To vanish soon into infinity : — 



70 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

A sliining angel — one foot on the land, 
And one upon the deep, with mystic hand. 
Where coral reefs abounded, brightly green 
The waters lay, when naught of storm was seen, 
But when the winds arose the billows leapt. 
And fl\ing foam o'er rocks and beaches swept. 
The fiilting, purple light of clouds was shed 
Upon the waves, as high above they sped, 
And all the hues of sunset ocean dyed 
With evanescent splendor, far and wide ; 
Green, gold and purple, orange, red and blue, 
In dazzling grandeur flashed upon the view; 
Fantastic landscapes blazed along the sk}'. 
To reproduce whose tints 'twere vain to try. 
'Twas in a clime whose glories dazed the eye, 
Where new-moons threw their threads of silver 

light. 
From the horizon to the mountain's height, 
And each full-moon illuminated night. 
And, like the sun, made ev'ry object bright 
With soft efi"ulgence, charming to the sight. 
Then, doubled, by their shadows, were the trees, 
While they exhaled their odors to the breeze, 
And aromatic incense filled the air : — 
All picturesque the scenes — resplendent, fair. 

XVII. 

On, o'er the sunlit sea, Columbus sped, 
And still new isles, before his gaze, were spread, 
Awaking transports in his glowing breast. 
Each seeming fairer, grander, than the rest. 
Though all in drowsy splendor were arrayed. 
While o'er them sweet and languid zephyrs played. 
Primeval loveliness as rare as this, 
Surpassed his fondest dreams of earthly bliss. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 71 

Great mountains — pink and purple, gray and blue, 
And torn and broken — burst upon his view, 
With gorges deep, and sombre in their hue, 
Contrasting with the brightness all around — 
Mysterious, dark, silent and profound. 
Fantastic peaks and pinnacles rose high, 
Like pencilled lines against the beaming sky, 
One, o'er the other, until lost in cloud — 
Till bending, Heaven hid them with her shroud ; 
While far below, from mountain-base to shore. 
Where ocean sighed its weary " Evermore ! " 
The forest in its primal beauty spread, 
And over all the golden sun was shed. 

When Cuba's lofty shores adorned the scene,* 

With sylvan glories — heights of living green — 

Surpassing all Columbus yet had seen — 

And purple mountains rising far away, 

And flashing in the golden beams of day, 

It seemed as if, at length, he saw Cathay. 

The grandeur of its features he beheld 

With admiration that his bosom swelled — 

Its fertile valleys, and its sweeping plains. 

Its noble rivers fed by tropic rains, 

Its headlands stretching far as eye could reach. 

Its forests rising from the shining beach, 

Its splendid verdure, and its ceaseless bloom. 

Its countless flowers' exquisite perfume, 

Its birds whose plumage made the woodland gay — 

All bathed with splendor in the beams of day. 

XVIII. 

The verdure of the groves allured the eye, 
And borrowed splendor from the flashing sky : 



* Cuba was discovered on the 27th of October, 1492. 



72 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS', 

The forests teemed with life, and insect throngs 

Drunk with the tropic nectar hummed their songs, 

And gem-like flashed in hosts upon the view — 

Red, green, and yellow ; brown and brightly blue — 

Rich in the ruby's and the sapphire's hue. 

The air so balmy, pure, and calmly clear, 

Made forms and sounds, though distant, near appear. 

Flamingoes with their scarlet j)lumage stood 

As if to guard an op'ning in the wood, 

And humming-birds like rainbow atoms flew 

For sweetness in each blossom kissed to sue ; 

The glitt'ring parrots chattered in the trees, 

And lustrous beauty wooed the idle breeze. 

While flocks of cranes disported in the sun. 

And Spanish hearts by maiden charms were won. 

" Cipango, welcome ! — Empire of Japan," 

Columbus cried — " And now for Kubla Khan, 

And Indian shores, and all the mighty East. 

I soon on these my longing eyes will feast ! " 

For riot his imagination ran 

O'er Marco Polo's tales of Kubla Khan ; 

And what romancer e'er invented more 

Than he, who voyaged in the days of yore ? 

Columbus sent ambassadors ashore 
To learn of its imagined monarch more, 
But there a naked chief alone was seen, 
Nor oriental tidings they could glean. 
Not this, they saw, could famed Cipango be. 
But still they hoped erelong that land to see, 
Still dreaming that on Asian shores they gazed 
Where Marco Polo stood before amazed ; 
And there they found in Cuba's soil the root — 
To Spain unknown — the earth's batata fruit, 
Which since has o'er the world — transplanted — 
spread, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 73 

And furnished man with little less than bread.* 

There, too, they saw the weed tahaka smoked — 

A savage vice, and one that mirth evoked. 

Yet still man's solace in its poison lies, 

And by it soothed he prematurely dies. 

He poisons with its fumes the air around, 

And to the slavish yoke behold him bound — 

A moral Pagan to his idol chained. 

Oh ! what from thee. Tobacco, have we gained? 

Yes there batatas, and tabaka, grew. 

From which the natives food, and pleasure, drew. 

A blessing, and a curse were in the two, 

And both the Old World welcomed from the New. 

XIX. 

While still Columbus o'er the ocean sailed. 
The Pinto's loss erelong his crew bewailed, 
And where she'd gone, and how, no sailor knew, 
But Pinzon, some believed, had proved untrue, 
And deemed to Spain direct he meant to steer. 
And rob them of the laurels gathered here, 
For jealous of his chief had Pinzon grown : — 
He wished to claim the glory all his own : — 
But others feared the Pinta was no more — 
A loss they well might bitterly deplore. 

Strange scenes of beauty met their wand'ring 

eyes, 
and each new prospect kindled fresh surprise. 
Gigantic gardens, trimmed by Nature's hand, 
Bu'-st on the view, as bright as fairy-land. 



* The potato, by the Indians called batata. This was the 
first occasion of this vegetable and tobacco coming under the 
notice of Europeans. 



74 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The splendid vegetation, green and dense, 
Rose from the shore to heights that seemed im- 
mense — 
Climbed high the mountain's rough, and steep as- 
cent, 
While shedding far and wide the roses' scent. 
Wild, solitar}' gorges, half-concealed 
By wreaths of cloud, were to the sight revealed, 
And wooded isles lay scattered o'er the deep, 
Now lulled by calms into delicious sleep ; 
While in the distance, dusky peaks surveyed 
The paradise below in bloom arrayed. 
The yellow-pine its branches here displayed, 
And aloes flourished in the sunny glade. 
Once in a hundred years to shoot on high, 
And bud, and blow, beneath a blushing sky. 
There oleanders blossomed all the year, 
And cherry-pink vineas flowered near, 
While the lontano in the forest grew. 
Its petals sparkling with the morning dew. 
Upon the weedy shores fantastic shells 
Were swept by ocean's deep, but gentle, swells. 
And lazy turtles, dripping from the brine. 
Crawled, in the sun, beyond the tidal line. 

XX. 

Eternal harvests beautified, and blessed 

These blissful islands of the glowing West; 

Eternal summer spoke in ceaseless bloom. 

Which seemed to banish wretchedness, and gloom : 

And man his days in primal freedom passed. 

By want, nor sorrow, woe, nor care harassed — 

Too sweet a lot for ever there to last. 

The wild man's dream unbroken yet remained. 

For still Queen Nature in those regions reigned, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 75 

But forth had gone the absohite decree : — 

As he of yore had been, no more was he, 

And pride, ambition, cruel want, and toil, 

Would soon invade, and curse, his native soil. 

His paradise for ever would be lost — 

His summer life be nipped by Winter's frost — 

And all his race pass silently away 

As fade the stars before the dawning day. 

XXI. 

Each day new hopes beguiled the wand'ring band, 
Who saw a golden isle in ev'ry strand. 
But just as oft no golden isle it proved, 
And sober reason wild romance reproved : 
Yet beauty tempered disappointment's sting. 
And still they soared on Hope's delusive wing. 
And built their castles, as before, in Spain, 
Nor deemed their airy architecture vain. 

xxn. 

Lo ! later, Hayli's palms appeared to view, 
And, in the moonlight, lengthy shadows threw. * 
Tall, spreading, stately, picturesque, and green, 
What more than these could grace the tropic scene ? 
" Hispaniola I will name the land ! " 
Exclaimed Columbus as he neared the strand, 
While far and wide the lustrous Queen of Night 
Revealed the island's beauties to the sight. 
" A fitting jewel for the crown of Spain 
I see in thee, for valley, hill and plain 

*This was the native name of the island, originally spelt 
Haiti, one part of which subsequently became known as 
Santo Domingo — so called after its ]M-incipal city founded by 
Columbus — a name it retains, while the other section of the 
island is still called Hayti. 



76 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Are rich in splendid verdure, and the e3'e 

Ne'er wearies of ihy landscapes, or thy sky. 

Eternal beauty sanctifies thy shore, 

And fondly I will greet thee evermore. 

In thee the ancient Ophir I behold, 

Whose mines may yield, as in the days of old, 

Their boundless hidden wealth of shining gold. 

King Solomon from thee his riches drew. 

And to this shore his white-winged vessels flew." * 

Then with extended hand, and poet's gaze. 

He — pointing to a palm-tree — spoke its praise : — 

" Mark yonder almost speaking cocoa-tree — 

A graceful thing that seems to feel and see, 

And wave and quiver in an ecstacy. 

Enamored of the moon, as of the sun, 

Her ling'ring kiss it never seeks to shun, 

But basks with joy in her pellucid rays. 

See how the sea-breeze with its branches plays, 

Now raising high, now letting gently low. 

As it may freshly, or with languor, blow. 

With gladsomeness the palm-top sways, and toys 

With the caressing wind, and naught alloys 

The pleasure of the moments as they fly, 

And naught is heard except the sea-birds' cry. 

See how the sky the topmost branches court. 

And all the branches with each other sport — 

Harmoniously waving, to and fro, 

As if in friendship they would closer grow. 

With what impassioned motion there they swing, 

And to the earth their trembling shadows fling. 

While the sultana of the heavens beams. 

And ev'ry star a lamp from heaven gleams. 

*Iii the visionary fervor of his imagination Columbus be- 
lieved Hayti to be the ancient Ophir. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 77 

The tree of knowledge, by whose fruit we fell, 
When Satan o'er the woman wove his spell, 
May — who can tell ? — have been a palm like this. 
If so, 'twas Beauty robbed us of our bliss." 

XXIII. 

The ungarbed islanders upon the shore 

A look of pleasure, and of wonder wore _ 

When first they saw the vessels sailing nigh, 

And pointed upward to their azure sky 

To show they deemed them wand'rers from the stars. 

While much they marvelled at their sails and spars. 

In royal state, on shoulders dark, and strong — 
To greet the strangers in his mother-tongue — 
The great cazique was borne from his abode. 
And friendly were the feelings that he showed. 
Around Gwa-can-a-gari's* head a ring of gold 
Proclaimed him shepherd of his swarthy fold. 
And gifts he gave, and loving-kindness vowed, 
And as a friend before Columbus bowed. 
Though rightly of his native grandeur proud — 
A king by Nature lavishly endowed. 

Their simple life, and picturesque domain. 
Where Plenty held a long unbroken reign, — 
Their freedom from the baneful lust of gain. 
From toil and care, and, nearly too, from pain, 
Made these rude islanders seem ever blest. 
And work-worn sailors envied them their rest, 
And all their aboriginal delights, 
And all the splendor of their days and nights. 



* Spelt by Irving Guacanagari. 



78 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Such life in such a clnne was like a dream, 

And what on earth could more Utopian seem ? 

The natives gave them gold for tinsel toys, 

And found in these the source of countless joys, 

Esteeming such as jewels, rich, and rare — 

Things with barbaric pride they loved to wear. 

The palm-trees waved beneath a blushing sky, 

And lovely Hebes made too many sigh 

To leave this paradise of sights and sounds 

To plod again through life's dull, weary rounds ; 

And many asked Columbus to remain, 

Nor ever seek to bear them back to Spain, 

For they had found enchantment in the land, 

With Pleasure and Contentment hand in hand.* 

Here sea, and sky, and shore alike were fair. 

And clear, and bright, and fragrant was the air — 

Delicious and invigorating, mild. 

While all was grandly picturesque and wild. 

Existence was a sensuous delight 

Where only glowing beauty met the sight, 

And youth and health seemed borne upon the 

breeze, 
And life was passed in Plenty's blissful ease. 
At eventide the shady groves were gay 
With sounding drums and vocal roundelay, 
And merry dances of the native throng. 
And all was joyful revelry, and song, 

* Sailing from Cuba on December 5, 1492, Columbus dis- 
covered Hayti on the day following. On January 16, 1493, he 
sailed on his return voyage to S]:)ain, having previously 
erected a fort, on the island of Hayti (or Hispaniola as he 
called it) which he garrisoned with forty-one of his original 
crew. This fort was built with the assistance of the natives, 
of the timbers of one of the vessels which was here stranded. 
On his second voyage Columbus found the fort demolished 
and ascertained that all the Spaniards left on the island 
had been killed in their encounters with the natives. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 79 



XXIV. 

The native maidens cast admiring eyes 

On Argonauts so bold in enterprise, 

Who won by charms bewitchingly revealed — 

For Innocence — unconscious — naught concealed — 

Were captive led to bend before the shrine 

Of love, and beauty, beaming, and divine ; 

And tender glances shot from eye to eye 

Beneath the fervor of that sunny sky, 

While coats of mail were pierced by Cupid's dart, 

And looks alone interpreted the heart. 

XXV. 

Zapot^s, russet-red and green in hue, 

Were moistened by the Morning's sparkling dew, 

And juicy gwanabanas — ah ! how sweet — 

Fell ripe and luscious at the wand'rer's feet, 

And plum-like mamoncillos faintly blushed 

On trees with crimson blossoms brightly flushed, 

For fruit and flower and op'ning bud were seen 

Together on their branches long and green. 

The maniey with its tempting coat of brown — 

And deeply scarlet heart — hung thickly down 

From lofty limbs where prating parrots played 

In all their splendid livery arrayed, 

And alligator-pears — a fruit superb— 

With here and there a scent-exhaling herb — 

Were mingled with ga-yabas full and ripe, 

And anyas with a golden-orange stripe, 

And purple-dark hicacos — dainty food — 

The riches of the splendid solitude — 

While flocks of gorgeous birds in tuneful lays 

Sang all the shining day their Maker's praise. 



8o THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But one unsightly solemn-feathered thing 

Beneath that flashing sky was on the wing — 

The songless turkey-buzzard — and it flew 

As if to hide itself from human view. 

The lovely snow-white and the crimson crane 

Of plumage such as theirs might well be vain, 

And grandly soared these giants to the sky, 

And dwindled into shapeless specks on high, 

And seemed at length from sight to wholly fade, 

For none beside such lofty flight essayed. 

'Twas bliss in such a happy land to dwell. 

Who now can all its charms and virtues tell ? 

For time hath wrought — alas ! — a wondrous change. 

And much that meets the gazer's eye is strange. 

Less lovely has the island prospect grown. 

The hapless Indian there is known no more ; 

His journey to the grave has long been o'er ; 

And ever cold and calculating Trade 

A mart of blooming groves and glades has made. 

So swiftly pass the things of earth away. 

The old ones of the new the fated prey; 

And gladsome scenes that charmed the sight of 

yore 
Have vanished — aye, are gone — for evermore. 
'Twill thus be ever with us here below; 
We come, we tarry briefly, and we go, 
And end our mortal pilgrimage in woe. 

XXVI. 

Here, sad to say, on this delightful isle — 
Where man and Nature seemed alike to smile — 
The bark was wrecked in which Columbus sailed,* 
And nigh to tears her stranding he bewailed, 

*The Sanfa Maria, after which Columbus performed the 
remainder of his voyage in the Nina. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 8i 

While all the native throngs were sorrowful 

As they beheld her devastated hull, 

And worked with willing hands the wreck to save, 

And freely of their simple bounty gave. 

The bark was brought in fragments to the shore. 

While all the crew a look of sadness wore. 

"Of these, of winds and waves no more the sport, 

We will," Columbus cried, "erect a fort, 

And this shall be Nativity by name. 

For was it not on Christmas Day we came ? 

Here safe in its protection some may stay. 

While I to Spain, and back, pursue my way." 

Erelong the fort was built, equipped, and manned, 

And forty men enamored of the land 

Cried — "Let us here, Don Christoval, remain, 

To found a nation in the name of Spain ; 

For Man and Nature here are truly kind. 

And all we need 'tis easy here to find. 

Here we can reap the riches of the clime 

Till you rejoin us in the future time, 

And greet us with a smile upon your face. 

And press us in a brotherly embrace." 

Columbus said—" Here then I bid you stay, 

And o'er the land assert your sov'reigns' sway: 

But with a gentle hand perform your part. 

Strive more and more to win the native heart, 

For not by force but friendship you'll succeed. 

Let prudence be your guide in word and deed. 

Guard well your fort and arms, by night and 

day, 
Nor venture far, from where we stand, to stray. 
Be guileless, chaste, and to your country true. 
And daily at the Cross your prayers renew. 
May God protect you. Comrades all, adieu ! " 
But when, at last, the parting-time had come, 
With strange emotions some were rendered dumb. 



82 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And as the signal-gun was heard to boom 
It wreathed them in a passing cloud of gloom, 
Though parting cheers arose from ship, and shore. 
All felt that they might meet on earth no more. 
Then when had died away the last farewell — 
Which made the breasts of stalwart heroes swell — • 
The Ninas sails receded from the land. 
While wistful eyes grew moist upon the strand. 
Sad thoughts of friends, of kindred, and of home — 
From which their lot had been so far to roam — 
Oppressed them as they gazed, and gazing sighed, 
And, for a moment, hope within them died 
As there amid the wilderness they stood 
Environed by the deep, eternal flood ; 
But to their rescue courage quickly came, 
And Hope rekindled its inspiring flame. 
The Nina^s sails had vanished from the sight, 
But all around was beautiful, and bright.* 

There tall bamboos, and royal palms were seen, 

With tufted heads, above the waves of green, 

And splendid ferns diversified the scene. 

While sounds of life through all the forest rose — 

The cawing chatter of conversing crows, 

The screams of parrots, rising clear and shrill. 

The cardinal's delightful whirring trill. 

The carpentero's ceaseless monotone, 

The hum of flies that bright as jewels shone — 

And with the wine of bloom had drowsy grown — 

The chatter of ihe monkeys in the trees, 

And, through the leaves, the whispers of the breeze. 

Erelong the missing Pinta hove in sight. 
And filled the Nina's sailors with delight. 

* Columbus sailed from La Navidad — Fort Nativity, 
Hayti — on the 4th of January, 1493, on his return to Spain. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 83 

Then Pinzon, her commander, told his tale — • 
How he. was force/l before tlie wind to sail, 
And ever since had sought the ships in vain, 
And mourned his lonely lot upon the main. 
For he despaired of ever meeting more 
The friends he last had seen upon the shore. 
Thus left alone to plough the trackless deep, 
His lot was sad, and almost made him weep : 
But, said Columbus, "This I disbelieve," 
And deemed his comrade labored to deceive ; 
Yet he was glad to meet the wand'ring waif, 
And find, though missing long, she still was safe. 

XXVH. 

Along the coast Columbus ploughed his way 
Till on his vision burst a splendid bay — 
The Gulf of Arrows, known as Samana — 
Whose beauty vies with that of Panama — 
An inland sea, three leagues in breadth, or more, 
With stately palm-trees nodding on the shore, 
And mountains in the distance rising high 
Against the background of the beaming sky. 
Here bold and warlike seemed the native host 
That, where the ships had anchored, thronged the 

coast. 
The braves were painted red as if with blood, 
And armed with clubs, and swords of polished wood, 
And bows, and arrows made of pointed reeds, 
And boasted of the valor of their deeds; 
But friendly to the strangers all appeared. 
And to the ships a chief's canoe was steered. 
The chieftain by Columbus was regaled, 
And back then in the Nina's pinnace sailed, 
And mingled with his people as before. 
Nor auoht of malice for the str'ans.ers bore. 



84 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

But soon the sailors grasped for Indian arms, 

When suddenly resounded wild alarms, 

And arrows tiew where peace before had reigned, 

And Spanish hands with native blood were stained — 

The first that in the New World had been shed. 

The natives fled — discomfited — in dread, 

But on the morrow brought the wampum belt — 

The pledge of peace — and gifts around them dealt, 

And friendship after this alone prevailed 

Till from the lovely scene the vessels sailed. 

Columbus by his kindness won his way. 

And sped triumphant from the splendid bay. 

XXVIII. 

Isle after isle, still met his longing gaze. 

While bright and balmy were the summer days, 

And fragrant of the forest was the air. 

Here all around him wondrous seemed, and fair! 

The nights were gilded by the moon and stars. 

Which shed their sheen on rigging, sails, and 

spars, 
And made his ship look like a fairy thing. 
O'er shining waters, borne on silver wing; 
While gleaming insects came in fiery clouds. 
And danced, like fays, among her sparkling shrouds. 
Each island wooed him with its vivid charms. 
And threw around him Fascination's arms ; 
Each seemed, itself, a paradise of bliss — 
A virgin beauty which he sighed to kiss. 
There Flora built her Castles, mountain high. 
And blushed, in bloom, beneath a cloudless sky. 
While, with her gifts, the boughs Pomona hung, 
And to the earth her ripened harvests flung. 
In golden clusters the banana grew. 
While o'er it the anana incense threw. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 85 

There 'mid a wilderness of stately palms, 

And vegetation rich in scented balms, 

The glossy-leaved magnolia was seen, — 

With creamy blossoms 'mid its wealth of green, — 

And the palmetto, rising in its pride. 

In grace and beauty, spread its leaves awide. 

The date-palm's plumes waved in the passing 

breeze. 
And mango, Cottonwood, and almond trees 
O'erlooked acacias, feathery, and fair. 
The cedar and the cypress and the oak 
Were hung with moss that of the ages spoke. 
The fragrant citron its aroma shed. 
While with it vied in sweetness, roses, red ; 
The yellow chaporelle grew 'neath the pine. 
And purple grapes hung on the climbing vine. 
The lilies bloomed upon the calm lagoon — 
Bright, as a mirror in the sun at noon — 
O'er which the snow-white heron soared in pride; 
And there the pelican was wont to glide, 
And plunge for prey deep in the silent tide; 
The crimson-tinted crane, too, wandered near, 
And bathed its plumage in its waters, clear. 
While there, to drink, repaired the thirsty deer. 
Gay, laughing naiades, like mermaids, played 
Upon its bosom, when it lay in shade, 
And woke the slumb'ring echoes with their glee — 
Eve's dusky daughters, beautiful, and free. 
Ah ! little dreamed they of the coming blight — 
That day to them so soon would turn to night — 
When first the white invaders met their sight : 
But these for gold far more than beauty yearned, 
And grieved to think as yet they'd little earned. 
For they had dreamed of wealth by night and 

day — 
Of all the boundless riches of Cathay. 



86 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Thus far their gleanings of the precious ore 
So scanty seemed they only longed for more. 

XXIX. 

Still o'er the sea the vessels onward sailed, 
And though Columbus sadly felt he'd failed 
To find the lands by Marco Polo viewed, 
Yet he his way to other scenes had hewed ; 
And still he hoped to soon return and spread 
The gospel through the realms of which he'd read, 
And reap the golden riches of Cathay, 
While bringing all beneath the Christian sway. 
" I leave these regions ere my task is done, 
And ere the guerdon great is fully won," 
He told his comrades with regretful tone, 
" For there are lands still vaster to explore, 
All rich in gems, and bright with golden ore — 
By Marco Polo found in days of yore — 
And mighty cities, beautiful to view — 
All which are yet reserved for me — and you. 
But, ere we further seek, I deem it wise 
To show Castile how great has been our prize ; 
For two small vessels now alone have we 
To bear our tidings o'er the fretful sea ; 
And if Disaster these should overtake, 
The world would to the story ne'er awake, 
And all that we have seen would still remain — 
As would our fate — unknown to distant Spain." 
The sailors hailed the prospect with delight: 
While slowly land receded from their sight. 
And with them journeyed heroes of their race — 
Courageous, and athletic, full of grace — 
Ten stately sons of Hayti's giant isle. 
Where endless bloom makes endless summer 
smile. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 87 

'Twas sad to see them leave their native land 
To brave the perils of a foreign strand- 
Allured to furnish living proofs to Spam _ 
Of what the fleet had found beyond the main. 

XXX. 

At first before a gentle wind they flew, 

But by degrees the weather stormy grew, 

And then the Finta vanished from the view. 

At length a raging tempest o'er them broke, 

And like a host of angry demons spoke, 

AH eager to engulf each caravel, _ 

And bear it downward to their wat ry hell. 

Fear blanched alike the timid, and the brave. 

Who in the ocean seemed to see their grave. 

Then fluttered the rent canvas in the gale 

Till broken masts were seen without a sail, 

While mountain seas washed loudly al around. 

And whistling winds in concert swelled he sound. 

Columbus feared his end at last was n,gh. 

And supplicated mercy from on high ••— 

^Not fJom Thy wrath, my Maker, I would fly, 

But in Thy service uncomplaining die ; 

Yet I would pray Thee to Thy servant spare. 

And with me longer, in Thy "^^^'^y ^f.^I; . ,.^ 

And if Thou shouldst restore me to the shoie, 

Thv'praises I will sing for evermore, 

And deeds of penance I will then perform 

In glory to the God who rules the storm. 

Ni-ht followed day, and day again appeared, 
But still the tempest on its way careered : 
Below, a wildly agitated waste. 
Upon whose breast the foaming billows raced ; 
Above, a sky of stormy, leaden hue, 



88 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

While wintry blasts in howling fury blew, 

And through the air the spray in showers flew. 

" O God ! " Columbus cried, " Thy will be done ! " 

And saw before the wind his vessel run — 

A crazy, helpless, rolling, tossing thing — 

A stormy petrel with a broken wing. 

"I fear," said he, " the Fifita sails no more, 

And that my bark will never reach the shore, 

So I will let the world my tidings know. 

And overboard the written record throw, 

And may its course be guided to the land 

By the omniscient great Creator's hand."* 

He cast it then upon the raging sea. 

And, with a prayer, devoutly bowed the knee. 

But winds and seas grew calmer by degrees, 

And other sails were spread to catch the breeze. 

While jury-masts were rigged, and from each deck 

The cheery sailors cleared away the wreck. 

Thus Death was disappointed of his prey. 

And eastward still the vessels ploughed their way, 

Each crew unconscious of the other's fate. 

Columbus cried — " On Providence I wait, 

And may He lead me back again to Spain 

To tell how great has been the Gospel's gain." 

And as he sailed he saw the bold Azores, 

Where ocean on the rocks for ever roars. 



* On the 14th of February, 1493, Columbus was overtaken 
by a hurricane, and apprehending shipwreck, united with the 
mariners in imploring the aid of God and the Virgin Mary. 
In order that his discoveries, in that event, might be made 
known, he wrote two accounts of them, one of which he 
wrapped in oilcloth and put in a watertight cask, which he 
threw overboard, and the other in a similar cask that he left 
on deck to float if the vessel sank. But she survived the storm 
and arrived at Lisbon on March 4th, 1493. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 89 

The transports of the crew no limit knew 
When land at last appeared before their view. 
Their joy was such as all had deeply felt 
When first before San Salvador they knelt 
For all on board of land had long despaired, 
So roughly on the sea their bark had fared. 
They deemed it providential they were spared. 

XXXI. 

A welcome sight was bright St. Mary's isle, 

And anxious faces wore again a smile : 

But on the shore were hostile Portuguese 

Whose king had said-" The navigator seize^ 

If he— Columbus— comes within your reach. 

In vain they tried to lure him to the beach, 

Thoucrh of his crew there landed there a few 

To teU their sins, and for their pardon sue, 

And into bondage these the people threw. 

There rose the while a fierce sou'-western ga e, 

Which forced Columbus from the port to sail. 

But soon returning he his men regained, _ 

Who told how they were manacled, and chained. 

A<-ain he spread his sails, and storms defied, 

And saw his bird-like bark the billows ride. 

A^^ain for land the anxious sailors sighed. 

And to their Maker for protection cried. 

And said— "Alas! we ne'er shall reach the 

shore," 
Forlouder winds and seas began to roar, 
And all on board cast lots, as oft before, 
For penitential deeds, and vowed the more. 
And trembled at the tempest's angry blast : 
But land was seen— one cloudy morn— at last 
And more devoutly slill they knelt and prayed. 
Columbus for the nearest harbor made, 



90 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And in the tranquil Tagus shelter found 

Though he to Spain, and San Lucar, was bound. 

He felt in dread of Portugal, but here 

No choice remained ; no other port was near, 

And Death seemed riding wildly on the deep 

As if a harvest from the ships to reap. 

His coming filled with wonder all the land, 

And eager crowds assembled on the strand. 

Columbus met with favor from the crown, 

And first began to taste his great renown. 

Though secretl}' the monarch deeply grieved 

To find success so vast by Spain achieved. 

And with a sigh King John exclaimed, — " Alas ! 

How strange that this so soon should come to pass 

When at my Court within the recent years 

This very man petitioned me with tears, 

And promised to discover countries new. 

How much in losing him have I to rue ! " 

Then some about the throne in whispers low 

Said — " While you can, assassinate a foe, 

And by a blow the Western Empire gain — 

The wealth and glory he has won for Spain." 

But Providence decreed t'was not to be. 

And soon again Columbus put to sea. 

And steered for Palos, whence his fleet had sailed 

While heroes wept and women sadly wailed, 

And this was only half a year before. 

Erelong with joy he eyed the Spanish shore, 

And all his crew were buoyant with delight. 

While ne'er of old had Palos seemed so bright. 

And welcomed she aloud the ship in sight.* 

Then hope, and fear, fond beating hearts possessed, 

And those who when they sailed the wand'rers blessed 

* Columbus, who had sailed on the 3d of August, 1492, 
returned to Palos on the 15th of March, 1493. 



OR Tf/E STORY OF THE NEJV WORLD. 91 

With gladness gave them greeting on the land. 
Heait pressed to heart, and hand embraced in 

hand, 
Sweet kisses were exchanged upon the shore. 
And lovers met to vow they'd part no more, 
While countless tongues fast spread through won- 

d'ring Spain 
The wondrous story of the kingdom's gain. 

When ocean first had thundered in the gale 

Lost in the gloom became the Pinta's sail, 

And after that no more it met the view. 

Columbus feared for Pinzon and his crew : 

But on the night the N'uia entered port 

The Pinta — long of wind, and wave, the sport — 

Cast anchor where her sister vessel lay. 

And Pinzon * there beheld her with dismay. 

For he had deemed her lost, or far away. 

And hoped in Spain the tidings first to tell. 

To dreams of glory bade he now farewell. 

And saw he'd naught by all his daring gained, 

Which deeply his aspiring spirit pained. 

For to the squadron all he had he gave. 

And he was skilled, adventurous, and brave ; 

But low ambition lured him to disgrace. 

He aimed to foully win, and lost the race, 

And b}' desertion forfeited renown. 

And stood dishonored by the Spanish crown. 



* Pinzon before reaching Palos had been driven into the 
Bay of Biscay by stress of weather and entered the ]3ort of 
Bayonne, whence he sent tidings of his discoveries to Fer- 
dinand and Isal:)ella, and requested permission to visit the 
Court. Tlie reply which reached Pinzon some weeks after- 
wards at Palos was of a reproachful tenor, and the request was 
denied. 



THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 



XXXII. 

Columbus landed 'mid rejoicing throngs 
Who greeted him with salvos and with songs, 
And formed a grand procession in his praise, 
And strewed his path with blossoms and with 

bays. 
He journeyed thus till Seville came in vievif 
And welcomed him with open arms anew ; 
And then from Barcelona tidings came 
That King and Queen paid honor to his name, 
And gloried with the nation in his fame, 
And urged him to their court to come with speed, 
And reap the glory of his mighty deed. 
So gladly he continued on his way 
Till Barcelona's walls before him lay. 
While eager crowds where'er he passed were seen, 
And animation marked the moving scene. 
All Barcelona bubbled with delight 
When these beheld the cavalcade in sight, 
And thousands went to meet it as it came. 
And rent the air with prodigal acclaim, 
While young hidalgos from the court appeared, 
And — with the swelling throng — the hero cheered. 
First marched the natives of the golden West 
With paint, and feathers, and their jewels dressed — 
The savages who sailed across the main, 
To look with wonder on the sights of Spain.* 
The Red Men wore a melancholy air, 
And, copper-tinged, with long and raven hair. 
They seemed to yearn again for woodlands wild, 
And failed to be by novel scenes beguiled. 

* One of the Indians died on the voyage, and three were 
left sick at Palos. Six therefore of the original ten were in 
the procession. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 93 

All marvelled at the sight of men like these, 

And cried — " How strange, these beings o'er the 



seas 



Then birds with plumage dazzling to the eye 
Were borne — with cockatoos, and parrots — by, 
And rings, and native coronets of gold, 
Which multitudes were eager to behold. 
The windows, roofs, and balconies were gay 
With banners that with idle winds would play. 
And filled with gazers on the scene below. 
The hero's eyes with pleasure seemed to glow 
As, mounted on a steed, he passed along, 
And heard his praises gushing forth in song. 
While dark-eyed senoritas waved their hands 
To welcome his return from distant lands. 
And with him rode the chivalry of Spain. 
Castile, and Aragon were in his train. 
His stately, and his venerable look 
Seemed all the baser passions to rebuke. 
And harmonized with all that he had done, 
A New World from the ocean he had won, 
And Spain in this a providence could see. 
What but an instrument of God was he .-' 
The monarchs for tiieir piety were blessed 
Through him, by this achievement in the West. 

xxxni. 

Columbus now was numbered with the great. 

And King, and Queen, and officers of state, — 

Surrounded by the pageantry of Spain — 

By all the pomp that signalized the reign — 

Received him as a hero of renown. 

And gave him royal honors for his crown. 

The hand of time had touched his hair with gray. 

But smiles were prone upon his face to play. 



94 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And these revealed a youthfulness of heart 
Which fitted him to act a stirring part. 
He showed at once both dignity, and ease, 
While in his manners he was wont to please. 
Commanding in his aspect and his will, 
A kind and gentle spirit he was still. 

He now described the regions he had found. 

And filled the Court with wonderment profound ; 

Displayed the gold that he had gathered there, — 

Where skies were bright and ever bland the air — 

And plants, and birds, and strange barbaric things, 

And flaming insects with enamelled wings. 

" And here," said he, " are children of the soil. 

Who live in plenty yet are free from toil. 

For Nature freely all they need supplies. 

And only what is baneful she denies." 

The plumed, and painted Red Men, decked with 

gold. 
Were picturesque, and wondrous to behold. 
And gazed like stoics on the scene around. 
And on the monarchs there enthroned, and crowned. 
" Nor yet," Columbus spoke, " my work is o'er," 
While he a look of honest triumph wore ; 
" Though much by Heavenly guidance I have done, 
Far more is still — believe me — to be won, 
For realms of boundless riches there remain 
To claim allegiance to the crown of Spain, 
And swell the glory of this glowing age, — 
And fill with lustre the historic page ; 
While nations that are wrapped in pagan gloom 
The gospel's light divinely will illume." 
Then Ferdinand, and Isabella knelt, 
And breathed in prayer the gratitude they felt, 
And clasped their hands, and lifted them on high. 
And seemed to feel the Holy Spirit nigh, 



OR THE STOKY OF THE NEW WORLD. 95 

While all their noble vassals round them prayed, 
And at the throne of Grace their praises laid. 
Then rose the swelling anthem from the choir — 
With trumpet notes, and strains of lute, and lyre — 
And in the sacred harmony of sound 
All deep, and solemn, inspiration found. 



XXXIV. 

With sudden splendor Europe now was dazed, 

And nations, with acclaim, Columbus praised, 

While even envy found itself disarmed, 

So much the world the great achievement charmed, 

It seemed a revelation from ihe skies 

More than the fruit of human enterprise, 

And all mankind rejoiced aloud with Spain 

To celebrate the universal gain. 

Columbus was the idol of the land, 

And where was hero with a fame so grand ? 

The King, and Queen, and those of higii estate 

The honors gave him due but to the great. 

And on his pleasure seemed to gladly wait. 

While naught for which he pleaded was denied. 

And all his rights and claims were ratified. 

He drank the honeyed draught of their applause, 

And felt rewarded in a noble cause. 

Each day the Court was heard his name to praise : 

Each day was he caressed in diverse ways. 

And for a time he felt that life was bliss, 

And he had sighed, and labored long for this. 

' Twas now that bold hidalgos, grave and gay, 
Claimed they had ever helped him on his way, 
And knew success his enterprise would crown, 
And cover him with glory, and renown — 



96 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The honors that were priceless to the brave, 

Though well he knew their aid they never gave, 

Nor words of cheer, but scoffed at all his views. 

And wondered how he found his ships and crews. 

But though such universal joy was shown 

The truth, sublime, as yet to none was known, 

That in the West a continent reposed 

Whose vast existence ne'er had been disclosed ; 

For all believed that Asian shores alone 

Beneath the skies in western waters shone, 

And Cuba to Columbus seemed the land 

That led to far Cathay's inviting strand — 

The western end of mighty Hindostan 

Where, in his grandeur, ruled the Tartar Khan ; 

And of the East the isles a part were deemed, 

For on them all the sun with fervor beamed : 

So they were called the Indies of the West, 

And all Columbus, for his prowess, blessed. 

While as the regions ne'er were known before 

The name of New World, then as now, they 

bore — 
By happy chance prophetically true, 
For all discovered there, indeed, was new. 

XXXV. 

Rome held o'er savage lands acknowledged sway, 

And for her sanction nations had to pray, 

So envoys journeyed to the Pope from Spain, 

His blessing and approval to obtain, 

As Portugal had done in days before 

When she began the ocean to explore. 

The Pontiff gave them all the monarchs craved, 

And praised Columbus for the perils braved. 

*' Henceforward Spain and Portugal will be 

The sharers of the lands beyond the sea. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 97 

And may they spread the gospel far and wide. 

Between them I tlie savage world divide, 

And in all countries be the Cioss their guide." 

So saying Alexander signed the deed 

By wliich, to Spain, he half the world decreed. 

Columbus felt his future great indeed 

When he surveyed, in thought, his vast domain, 

O'er which in regal grandeur he would reign ; 

And thus the hero Ferdinand addressed. 

His mind devoutly with his theme impressed : — 

"My mission is, your majesty, from God, 

Who yet will smite with His avenging rod 

The armies of the Infidel we hate, 

And I may be an instrument of fate ! 

I feel myself commanded from above 

To wrest the holy sepulchre we love 

From those who o'er it hold unholy sway — 

And ne'er to Him, but to Mahomet pray — 

And place it in the shadow of thy throne. 

This be the task that I will call my own. 

Ere years, in number eight have passed away — 

When I have gathered riches in Cathay — 

Four thousand horse, and fifty thousand foot 

I in the field to rescue it will put. 

And — mark me — later I will yet again 

Supply an equal force of horse and men, 

And lead them on triumphant o'er the foe 

Till in the dust his arms are trampled low! 

Then all the Christian world with one acclaim 

Will glorify thy country and thy name 1 " 

This visionary project sounded strange, 

But his ambition had a boundless range. 

And those were days when fancies men beguiled. 

And nought to gain their credence seemed too wild. 



98 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 



XXXVI. 

The Church baptized the Red Men of the West, 

And then with pomp and splendor they were blessed, 

The monarchs as their sponsors kneeling nigh, 

With grateful hearts, and eyes that looked on high. 

" The first fruits of these pagan lands we give 

To Thee, O Lord ! that they may ever live," 

Were words that from their lips devoutly, fell, 

"And may they of Thy name, and glory tell. 

And spread the gospel though their native lands. 

And worship Thee, and honor Thy commands. 

To Thee we dedicate this savage race 

To seek redemption through Thy saving grace, 

For its conversion is the end in view 

In seeking, far away, these regions new, 

And to the Cross may all these bow the knee, 

And find salvation evermore in Thee." 

Thus Ferdinand and Isabella prayed 

In all the grandeur of their Court arrayed. 

Thus Ferdinand and Isabella's reign was crowned 

With splendor by the New World newly found, 

Which now — four hundred years gone by — 

In all its wealth and glory, far atid nigh, 

Does honor to Columbus, true and brave, 

Who to the Old World this our New World gave. 

XXXVII. 

Not then Columbus could foresee that he 
Would voyage twice again across the sea. 
And from the New World then return in chains. 
Behold, the infamy of this was Spain's ! 
The conq'ring hero of the Western World 
From rank and fortune she unjustly hurled. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 99 

Envv and hate, and falsehood born of fraud, 

Stripped him, alas 1 of all he won abroad, 

And left him poor, unreverenced, to die. 

Well o'er his cruel fate the world may sigh. 

But all the brighter shines his star of fame. 

And on Castile alone there rests the shame. 

AH hail to 1492. . 

The Old World joins in greeting with the New; 

And 1892 gives praise, _ 

And crowns Columbus once again with bays. 



PART V. 



The Second Voyage of Columbus.— The Prog- 
ress OF Discovery tn America. 

All tongues had for their theme the golden West, 

And with rejoicing, all Columbus blessed, 

While fortune's favors on him thickly pressed. 

The Spanish monarchs urged his quick return 

Of regions so enchanting more to learn, 

And offered him a fleet, equipped, and manned, 

With him, as Admiral, in full command— 

The largest fleet that e'er had sailed from Spain 

In Ferdinand and Isabella's reign ; 

While Isabella swelled his tide of weal 

And made him at her Court her friendship feel. 

A noble queen was she of old Castile. 

" Protect the Red Men with a father s care, 

And their conversion be thy constant prayer, 

And Heaven guide thee in the rightful way 

Where'er it be thy lot on earth to stray ; 

And if thy course should lead thee to Cathay, 

May' God thy noble enterprise repay!" 



loo THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS, 

These were her parting words ere he returned 
To search for lands his mental eye discerned, 
Out in that boundless ocean of the West. 
" My law," said he " O Queen, is thy behest I '"' 
To Barcelona then he bade adieu. 
And Seville rose ere long before his view, 
Where he, with zeal, to raise his fleet began, 
Exclaiming — " Now we sail for Hindostan ! " 
All ships in Spanish harbors, and their crews — 
By royal orders — he was free to use, 
And, too, to gather where he chose, supplies 
For this — his second New World enterprise; 
For, then, despotic was the monarchs' sway. 
And all were forced their mandates to obey. 
Accepting in return whate'er they gave. 
Spain's commerce to the crown was but a slave. 



II. 

With strange excitement all the land was filled, 

And airy castles men began to build 

As through Castile the stirring tidings ran. 

That, soon, the fleet would sail for Hindostan. 

The New World seemed a region of delight — 

A realm of bliss where all was fair and bright; 

And rich, and poor, alike with youth and age — ■ 

The noble, and the peasant, and the sage — 

Were eager on the paradise to gaze. 

So grandly had Columbus sung its praise. 

The avaricious dreamed of golden sands. 

And groves of spice, and pearl-enamellad strands, 

And mountains rich in precious gems and gold. 

And all the wealth of Solomon of old. 

Which they had but to gather to be blessed. 

The bold and daring, burning with unrest. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. loi 

Now that, at last, the Moorish wars, were o'er, 
Longed for adventure on some distant shore ; 
And brave hidalgos — those of high degree — 
Their fortunes cast upon the fickle sea — 
Men with a thirst for hardy enterprise, 
Who in the New World saw a splendid prize, 
Which well might tempt less peril-loving eyes. 
They pictured to themselves a vast crusade — 
The Cross against the Infidel arrayed — 
Surpassing that to free the Holy Land — 
A mission to their minds sublime, and grand — 
To conquer all the islands brought to light, 
And then their way to Asian cities fight. 
Subdue the mighty Tartar, Kubla Khan, 
And raise the Cross throughout all Hindostan. 
'Twas thus Imagination riot ran. 



IIL 

At length at dawn one bright September day 

The fleet prepared to sail from Cadiz bay, 

And all the city flamed with banners gay. 

Adieus, embraces, kisses, on the shore. 

And friends had parted, some to meet no more. 

The cavalier, bound on enterprise. 

And with a look romantic in his eyes ; 

The navigator, seeking ocean fame ; 

The priest, with church extension for his aim ; 

The trader, with a craving love of gain — 

All hopeful, left behind the shores of Spain : 

And they were blessed, and cheered by countless 

tongues. 
And followed o'er the waters by their songs. 
Then slowly on their way the barks careered — 
While thousands on the piers Columbus cheered — 



I02 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Three ships with decks, and fourteen caravels — 
While all the churches rang their joyful bells : 
And with the fleet went fifteen hundred souls 
Prepared to steer through Danger's rocks, and 

shoals 
In search of golden shores beyond the seas, 
Where wealth, and glory, could be won with ease.* 
Two Indian braves were homeward-bound with these 
To tell their kinsmen how they crossed the seas, 
But all their comrades trod Castilian soil 
Till Death, unsparing, claimed them for his spoil. 

IV. 

Gomera's isle was touched for wood, and wine, 
And sheep, and goats, and horses, calves, and swine, 
And seeds of orchard trees that flourished there. 
Of which the Western solitudes were bare. 
The orange and the lemon were of these — f 
The golden fruits of the Hesperides, 
And then once more the ships pursued their way, 
While eyes were bright with visions of Cathay. 
The voyage prospered, and when land was seen 
It broke upon them like a fairy scene. 
They saw before them, as they sailed the sea, 
The fragrant palm-decked isles of Caribbee. 



* Columbus sailed from Cadiz on his second voyage, on the 
25th of September, 1493, Ferdinand and Isabella having pre- 
viously ratified, in the most solemn manner, his former stipula- 
tion respecting his offices and emoluments. His fleet called 
at Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, on the 5th of October, 
and sailed again on the 7th. 

t These fruits were first brought to the Nev/ World from 
the Canary Islands — supposed to be the Hesperides, or Fort- 
unate Islands of the ancients. A small, bitter orange is, how- 
ever, supposed to have been indigenous to the West Indies. 



OK THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 103 

Dominica, the glory of the group, 

First came to view, and blooming Guadaloupe, 

Then Montserrat, and gay Antigua, too. 

All set like jewels in' a sea of blue. 

And then, northwest, full fifty islands more* 

Before Columbus gazed on Hayti's shore, 

Where he his willing comrades left behind 

To watch, and pray, and train the savage mind. 

He landed where he left them on the plain. 

But none were there who spoke the tongue of Spain, 

And where the fort had stood 'twas sought in vain. 

No more the Red Men near the Spaniards drew, 

But looked with loathing eyes upon the crew 

Whose presence there foreboded further wrong, 

And hushed were sounds of revelry, and song, 

While gloom, and apprehension, reigned around, 

Nor could Gwa-can-a-gar-i there be found. t 

Suspicion centred on the great cazique 

On whom a few their vengeance vowed to wreak : 

"But first," Columbus said, ■' we'll hear him speak. 

Go search the land ; discover where he hies, 

And I will act as I may deem it wise." 

The chieftain lame, and hammock-bound, was 

found. 
His wigwam near, and palm-trees all around. 
With wives, to serve and soothe him, always nigh. 
And fragrant zephyrs ever floating by. 



* Including Boriquen now called Porto Rico. 

t A friendly native informed Columbus that after his de- 
parture the men whom he left behind in the fort at Navidad 
disregarded their commanding officer and committed various 
outrages upon the Indians, which finally led one of the chiefs 
of the island to surround and fire the fort. A bloody battle 
ensued in which some of the Spaniards were killed, while the 
rest perished in attempting to escape by crossing an arm of 
the sea. 



I04 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Columbus met the wounded monarch there — 
Whose features wore an anxious troubled air — 
And said — " I come my comrades lost to claim." 
" Oh ! hold me not," the chief replied, " to 

blame. 
Destruction seemed the white invaders' aim — 
And theirs were restless spirits naught could 

tame. 
They brought upon my people countless woes, 
And where they'd been their friends they made 

them foes. 
Then, not content with ranging my domain. 
On other tribes they brought distress, and pain, 
And roused their wrath till they in battle rose, 
And in the isle no more was known repose. 
Ca-on-a-bo* attacked them with his hosts, 
And drove them to my desolated coasts, 
And there besieged them in their fortress long, 
While he attacked me with his mighty throng 
For granting Spaniards shelter in the land. 
Against his braves I boldly made a stand, 
But ere the struggle that we waged was o'er 
The herbage where we fought was red with gore, 
And when his forces homeward went their way 
The fort a smould'ring heap of ashes lay. 
And not a Spaniard in the isle remained, 
To tell of deeds which thus its annals stained. 
Believe me, still, the white man's only friend, 
And you — Columbus — trust me — I'll defend." 
The chieftain's guilt Columbus then denied. 
Though o'er the tragic tale he sadly sighed. 
" Alas," said he, " my words were all in vain. 
They heeded not, and now behold them slain ! " 



* The chief of Maguana. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 105 



V. 

Columbus said — " From here we'll take our way, 

For evil signs forbid a longer stay. 

A fairer spot we'll seek along the shore 

Which ne'er as yet has known the taint of gore," 

And sailing on erelong he found a bay, 

Which in the sun like molten silver lay, 

And seemed to woo him to its calm embrace. 

While hills arose, and streams meandering ran 

As if designed to bless the lot of man. 

"A heaven-appointed place," he cried, "is this, 

And life in such a region must be bliss. 

Here — comrades — let us land, and build a town, 

And glorify the Cross and Spanish crown," 

And there they landed, all with ardor filled. 

Exclaiming " We'll a mighty city build." 

The granadilla where they wandered grew. 

And humming-birds through blooming thickets flew, 

For nectar prone where'er they went to sue. 

The date and mango spread their branches wide, 

And cocoa-palms stood proudly at their side. 

The cactus, and the bread-tree, yielded fruit, 

And yuca here and there revealed its root. 

While roses shed their odor all around, 

And tropic verdure carpeted the ground. 

Eut swiftly all was changed. The builder's hand 

Transformed the features of the happy land. 

And Isabella* in the garden rose 

With massive walls to screen from native foes. 



* The town was so called in honor of the Queen of Castile. 
Its foundation was laid^in 1493, '^"'^ ^^ ^'^^ ^'^^ ^''^^ °"^ built 
in the New World, and lay to the eastward of Fort Nativity. 



io6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

" Who knows but this may rich Cipango be, 

And mighty cities — inland — we may see ? " 

Exclaimed Columbus — " It is wondrous fair, 

And I would gladly lay its treasures bare. 

Go, then, Ojeda, * and its wealth explore. 

And seek where'er you go for golden ore, 

And hasten back, with tidings to the shore. 

Where I will wait expecting your return ! 

And eager more of land so sweet to learn, 

And, by the fieet in port, to send to Spain 

Whate'er we may of gold, or knowledge, gain ! " 

Ojeda, with a few to warfare bred. 

From Isabella on his mission sped. 

Delighting in the dangers of the way, 

And armed and mounted — ripe for friend, or fray, t 

Ojeda was the hero that he looked. 

Whose dauntless courage timid hearts rebuked, 

Who loved adventure for excitement's sake, 

And cast his all upon a single stake. 

Day after day he met with naked throngs, 

Who welcomed him with dances, and with songs, 

And hospitably gave him of their cheer. 

Expressing wonder, with but little fear, 

Though man and horse a monster, strange, appeared, 

And superhuman seemed each soldier's beard. 

With tropic beauty all the land was bright : — 

It seemed an endless region of delight ; , 

And gold was seen to glitter in the streams — 

Which shone like silver in Apollo's beams — 

And in Cib-a-o's mountains, where the pines 

Grew up untrammelled by caressing vines. 

And breathed their aromatic odors on the air. 

While, high above, the mountain peaks were bare. 

* Alonzo de Ojeda. 

t This was eaily in January, 1494. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 107 

The natives told him here were mines of gold, 
Which made him prone to dream of wealth untold; 
Though he for pomp, and cities looked in vain. — 
Here Nature held an undisputed reign. 

Success had crowned his hardy, bold emprise, 

And back he rode with triumph in his eyes 

To tell the golden promise of the isle. 

Then fortune seemed on all alike to smile, 

And, with the fleet, the tidings went to Spain 

That vast indeed had been the kingdom's gain : 

And Caribs, from their native islands torn. 

Away as captive infidels were borne, 

Their exile from their native shores to mourn. 

To civilize, and Christianize their race — 

And win them by conversion o'er to grace — 

Was now the end Columbus had in view. 

He deemed it rightful to enslave them, too, 

And barter them like cattle for supplies 

To nourish this his New World enterprise. 

But Spain refused the Caribs to enslave. 

Though she to bondage Moors, and negroes, gave. 

VI. 

In Isabella discontents arose, 
And few there were not his — Columbus' — foes, 
Both poor, and lowly, and hidalgos, proud, 
Were heard to utter murmurs deep, and loud. 
There many labored but to find a shroud, 
For fever in the wealth of verdure lurked. 
And those unused to toil were overworked, 
And yielded to privation and despair. 
With curses on the day they landed there. 
They stigmatized their leader as a knave. 
Who thus had lured them to an early grave, 



io8 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And oft oppressed them by his cruel sway. 
They longed to break from his control away ; 
And while, o'ercome by sickness, there he lay 
They planned to seize the ships, and sail for Spain, 
There of their stern commander to complain : 
But he, in time, the mutiny suppressed,* 
And quick was he the leaders to arrest, 
And ten-fold then was wrath, and rage, inflamed. 
While bitterly he found himself defamed : 
But turmoil quelled, and health again restored. 
He donned his mail, and girded on his sword, 
And to his brother Diego gave command — 
To rule, till his return, the Spanish band — t 
And to Cib-a-o's mountains led the way — 
Equipped, and mounted — warlike in array — 
For there he felt were boundless mines of gold, 
And these he longed, with ardor, to behold. 
In wealth he saw the standard of success. 
And prayed the Lord his life with this would bless, 
By which he hoped Jerusalem to gain, 
And wrest the holy tomb from hands profane. 
Four hundred troops — the horsemen in advance — 
With sword, and crossbow, arquebuse and lance, 
And helmets shining in the morning light. 
And plated bucklers, and cuirasses bright — 
Whiie drums, and trumpets martial music made. 
And languid zephyrs with the banners played — 
The island traversed to the mountain range, 
Mid scenes of beauty, picturesque and strange. 
Till, through a gap, there burst upon the view — 
Beneath that sky so deeply, brightly blue — 



* The mutineers were headed by Bernal Diaz de Pisa, 
t Don Diego was left in command at Isabella during the 
absence of Columbus, who set out on the 12th of March, 1494. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 109 

The mighty vale of which Ojeda told, 

And made them yearn its splendors to behold. 

'Twas theirs the charm of rapture then to know. 

Far stretching league on league it lay below 

Bathed in the beaming sun's resplendent glow, 

Its royal palms, majestic to the eye, 

Like tufted columns, grandly soaring high, 

Their stately crowns, of deep and vivid green, 

In beauty basking in the golden sheen, 

While bloom and verdure far, and wide, were seen. 

Here, rose the forest ; there, was spread the plain. 

With fields of yellow maize — the native grain ; 

And wigwams nestled in the shade of trees, 

Where hammocks swung, and Red Men lived at 

ease — 
All grandly by the purple mountains framed. 
" Let this the Vega Real * now be named ! " 
Exclaimed Columbus with admiring eyes : — 
"Here Nature naught of loveliness denies, 
But paints the prospect with her richest dyes. 
Who knows but this may once have Eden been ? 
And who before hath seen so fair a scene.'"' 
Descending through the deep and rugged pass, — 
O'ergrown with weeds, and tall and tangled grass, — 
The army on the open plain defiled — 
With all around magnificent, and wild. 
At ev'ry turn revealing varied charms — 
Amid the clangor of their burnished arms, 
With flying flags, and music clear, and loud. 
And prancing steeds of warlike trappings proud. 
The pageant supernatural appeared 
To those who from their native forests peered, 



* The Royal Plain, which is still one of the grandest sights 
in Santo Domingo and the Antilles. It is eighty leagues in 
length, and from twenty to thirty in breadth. 



no THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And some in terror from the vision fled, 
And consternation through their hamlets spread ; 
But by degrees their confidence returned 
When only peaceful strangers they discerned, 
Who gave them trinkets in exchange for gold, 
P>nriching them, it seemed, a hundred-fold. 
Then they of their abundance bade them eat, 
And scattered fruits, and yuca, at their feet. 
And welcomed them the mighty valley through — 
Each day disclosing scenes of splendor new. 
And kindling raptures with the changing view. 
Where'er they wandered grapes in clusters grew — 
Some brightly green, and some of purple hue — 
On clinging vines that climbed the highest trees, 
And dallied coyly with the passing breeze. 
While grandly with Pomona Flora vied. 
And fruit, and blossom, flourished side by side. 
Oft on a single branch were seen the two, 
So swift was Nature here to life renew. 
The native maidens sweet areytos sung — 
While to their ballads danced both old and young — 
And played on timbrels made of ocean shells, 
Whose ringing sound resembled tinkling bells. 
Before their idols priests performed their rites, 
And bright, and gladsome were their days, and 

nights. 
The yuca, maize, and the batata grew. 
In harvests ripe the year, unbroken, through ; 
The limpid streams were opulent with fish 
To gratify each native angler's wish, 
And flocks of birds, that freely ranged the air, 
Supplied whoe'er desired with dainty fare. 
While utas and guanas furnished more. 
And countless trees a constant banquet bore. 
Here simple and untutored lives were spent 
In ease, and freedom, and in sweet content. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD, in 

And mere existence was a round of bliss. 
Columbus sighed — " How exquisite is this ! " 

VII. 

At length he reached the rugged mountain heights, 

And revelled in Imagination's flights, 

Believing that exhaustless mines of gold 

Would soon their treasures lavishly unfold, 

For in the streams the precious metal gleamed. 

And pregnant with it all the region seemed. 

The natives brought him nuggets they had found, 

Significantly pointing all around, 

And with success he felt his hopes were crowned. 

" Here," said Columbus, "we will build a fort. 

And Fortune, day by day, with labor, court, 

And gather riches from the teeming earth, 

For here of treasure there can ne'er be dearth." 

The fort was built of wood the pines supplied, 

And by its side a river rolled its tide,* 

While just below a green savanna lay. 

Its wavy breast with blooming beauty gay. 

" St. Thomas be the lonely structure's name. 

And hail the day we to these mountains came ! 

Here sixty men to guard it shall remain — 

And great wi-11 be their glory and their gain — 

And Margarite shall o'er them hold command. 

'Twill be like life in an enchanted land, 

For all the tidings from the country round 

Proclaim the shining riches that abound. 

De Luxan, from his journey just returned, $ 

Where'er he wandered, gold, and gems discerned, 

* The Yanique. 
t Pedro Margarite. 

{ Columbus had sent Juan De Luxan on an exploring tour 
through the mountains with a troop of horse. 



112 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And all for which the heart of man can yearn. 
Yet who can tell but we of more may learn ? 
For we, the soldiers of the Cross, are blessed, 
And by the saints and angels, too, caressed ! 
Use well the gifts that lie within your reach, 
And to the savage go the gospel preach ! " 
Then to the fort Columbus bade adieu, 
Back to the port his journey to pursue. 

VIII. 

Save sickness, and prevailing discontent. 

All well, the while, at Isabella went. 

The trees, and seeds of Europe, planted there 

Were quick to flourish in that tropic air; 

The sap within the sugar-cane was sweet. 

And ears had gathered on the growing wheat ; 

With globes of fruit the orange boughs were hung. 

While lemons, near them, were on branches strung, 

And melons, in their ripeness, kissed the ground. 

Columbus looked with joy on all around. 

But, from the fortress, soon there tidings came. 

The fort's destruction was the savage aim. 

Ca-on-a-bo* his hosts, from far and near. 

Was seen assembling, armed with club and spear, 

And he — of Hayti's mountain-lands the chief — 

Vowed there the stay of strangers should be brief. 

With cruel wrongs his people they oppressed. 

And from them strove whate'erthey had to wrest. 

Well might they the invading horde detest. 

Columbus heeded little this alarm. 

Nor feared the natives would the fortress harm. 

But ordered reinforcements to its aid. 

And for unbroken peace, and friendship prayed. 

* Pronounce Kayhonnybow. 



OR THE STORY OF THE A^EW WORLD. 113 

Then to divert his forces from their woes— 
O'er which they brooded sadly in repose — 
He ordered all the rising town could spare, 
And who had strength enough their arms to bear, 
For marching through the island to prepare, 
Its wonders, and its riches, to explore. 
" This journey will your waning health restore,^" 
Columbus told them ere they went away, 
" And all your sorrows and distress allay. 
Your ranks Ojeda to the fort will lead. 
And his behests as soldiers you will heed. 
There he will Pedro Margarite succeed. 
And o'er you all will hold supreme command. 
And guide you further o'er the charming land : 
And may you more than all you hope for glean, 
And dwell with rapture on the changing scene. 
With kindness try to soothe the native heart, 
And nobly, but yet firmly, act your part ! " 
Four hundred strong, they left the town behind. 
Expecting health, and riches yet to find — 
Believing Fortune to their cause was kind, 
And all they suffered Heaven had designed. 
Columbus, then, resolved to sail away 
To search the sea for Mangi and Cathay, 
And all those treasures of the mighty East 
On which his fancy ever loved to feast. 
He formed a junta o'er the isle to reign. 
Pledged to his cause to ever true remain. 
And placed his brother Diego at its head. 
Then with three caravels away he sped, 
By ardor and imagination led. * 



* He left Isabella on the 24th of April, 1494. 



114 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 



IX. 

Away for Cuba's bright, inviting isle — 

Where Phoebus ever sheds his golden smile — 

Columbus steered his vessels o'er the deep 

Expecting precious harvests there to reap, 

And that Cipango, Mangi and Cathay 

Would soon reveal their splendors to the day — 

Great ancient cities, and majestic kings, 

And angel forms that only wanted wings. 

Imagination led him captive long, 

And hope delusive sang a siren's song. 

He cruised for days along its verdant shore, 

With ardent longing further to explore. 

Before his vision waved the royal palms. 

And on the air were wafted fragrant balms, 

While birds, and gems, and fruit the natives brought, 

And — in return — for beads, and baubles, sought. 

Then toward the south they made a sign of 

land, 
Where mountains overlooked the sea-girt strand. 
And shining gold was mingled with the sand. 
Columbus felt enraptured o'er the tale. 
And cried — " For this, my comrades, we will sail ! " 
Due south into the open sea he steered 
Till, leagues away, high mountain-tops appeared. 
And as the coast, by slow degrees, he neared 
He felt his spirit by the prospect cheered. 
Jamaica's azure mountains met his gaze, 
Their summits dusky in the tropic haze. 
And wreathed with curling clouds of morning mist, 
While now and then by vivid sunlight kissed. 
Majestic forests far below were seen. 
And fertile valleys, beautiful and green. 
While here and there a village marked the scene. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 115 

But hostile Red Men gathered on the shore, 

Who in their hands their pointed lances bore, 

And on their bodies paint and feathers wore. * 

A fleet of war-canoes, with angry braves — 

Their weapons brandished — danced across the waves. 

But presents calmed their fury ere it burst, 

And homeward-bound they peacefully dispersed, 

While on the vessels sailed to find a bay 

Where they might tarry on their wat'ry way. 

'Twas found, but angry braves again appeared. 

And toward their white invaders boldly steered. 

Then threw their missiles with defiant cries, 

And watched their flight with fierce, indignant eyes. 

The red plumes bristling in their tufted hair, 

And — save some palm leaves — all their bodies bare. 

Columbus said, " Forbearance here is wrong. 

Our duty is to show that we are strong, 

And all the savage legions can defy. 

Man all the boats, and let the arrows fly ; 

Set loose the bloodhounds on the nearest shore, f 

And we shall meet their brandished arms no more." 

The gory warfare terror spread, awide. 

And those who erst defied for mercy cried. 

There scenes of glowing beauty met the eye. 
Where'er it wandered 'neath that blushing sky. 
The cocoa-palm, the tamarind and date. 
With pomegranates in their fruity state. 
Ananas, too, of rich and luscious hue. 
With mammees, and bananas, thickly grew. 
While bloom, and verdure beautified the view. 

* Jamaica was discovered by Columbus on May 5, 1494. 

t This is the first instance on record of the use of dogs, 
against the natives of the New World, but they were subse- 
quently employed by the Spaniards in their Indian wars with 
the most heartless cruelty. 



ii6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Bamboos, with feathered fronds, gave friendly 

shade. 
And, too, the Ceiba — monarch of the glade — 
Its branches spread, of fresh unfading green — 
A stately figure in the sylvan scene — 
While fields of maize waved in the balmy breeze. 
Which played like music through the leafy trees. 
In merry pranks the monkeys leapt, and swung 
From branch to branch, while birds of beauty 

sung — 
The scarlet cardinal, and mocking-bird — 
Whose liquid notes above the rest were heard — 
And gaudy oriole, and tropeo. 
Reflecting in their tints the tropic's glow. 
" Here," said Columbus, " I will build a home, 
When I have o'er the waters ceased to roam;" 
And friendship grew, where fury had prevailed. 
Then far along the coast the vessels sailed, 
So near the land, canoes their wants supplied, 
And swan-like glided swiftly at their side, 
All filled with natives bringing birds, and fruits. 
And fish, and maize, and dainty herbs, and 

roots. 
And some a turtle, or a piece of gold. 
Inspiring dreams of hidden wealth untold — 
The treasure the explorers came to glean, 
Though little they of what they craved had seen. 
But in the isle Columbus found delight. 
For all was lovely there, that met the sight. 

Just ere he sailed away, a native swain 
Petitioned to be carried o'er to Spain, 
Though all his kinsmen warned him ne'er to fly 
To regions where he soon would pine and die: 
But he had yearnings other lands to see, 
And o'er the world a rover he would be. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 117 

He reached the Spanish shore, but ne'er returned 
To tell Jamaica of the lore he learned. 

X. 

Again for Cuban shores Columbus sailed — 

A prospect ali his crews with gladness hailed — 

Expecting wonders new to there behold, 

And harvest souls while reaping wealth in gold, 

Still dreaming 'twas the mainland of the East, 

Where soon his eyes on cities grand would feast. 

Yet though he cruised for weeks along its shore 

He grew no wiser than he was before. 

While — strangely — all his comrades shared his view, 

And till his death he deemed the fancy true, 

Though had he but continued on his way 

Erelong he'd found an isle, and not Cathay : 

But worn, and leaky ships, and scant supplies, 

Checked — ere he gained its fruit — his enterprise, 

And warned him back to Hayti's shore to steer. 

Although he felt the Orient was near. 

He turned, but cried — " I'll yet ray course retrace, 

And win the prize, by God's approving grace." 

Then sailed he through an islet-studded sea — 

A wilderness of gardens fair to see, 

Which kindled in the gazers ecstacy — 

Isles small, and large, and bouquet-like, and bright, 

And all alike refreshing to the sight.* 

Far as the eye could reach they gemmed the tide 

With all the rainbow's hues divinely dyed. 

XI. 

There on the hills the sweet pimenta grew. 



* Columbus named this archipelago the " Queen's Gardens." 



ii8 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

With berries laden, purple in their hue — 

A tree of beauty, born to grace the view ; 

And there its pods the cocoa-tree displayed, 

O'ersliadowed by mahoganies, arrayed 

In all their plenitude of vivid green, 

With mighty branches, bathed in sunny sheen. 

The cereus — night-blooming — climbed its way 

Up withered stumps, with other creepers gay, 

And threw its fleshy leaves to catch the breeze, 

Then leapt from lifeless trunks to living trees; 

The yellow elder, and hibiscus, red. 

Their blooming masses to the sunlight spread; 

Plumerias, and popinacs, rose high. 

And with their splendid colors caught the eye; 

Gigantic pines, with needles bristling o'er, 

Above the spreading palms were wont to soar, 

While fragrant logwood flourished in the shade. 

And moss festoons were by the zephyrs swayed ; 

Bright parasites o'er precipices flung 

Their trembling forms, and feathered warblers 

sung, . ^ 

While humming-birds to passion-flowers flew. 
For lurking nectar there to — sipping — sue. 
And gaudy insects wandered to and fro. 
Like flashing gems amid the noon-tide glow. 
Hung round with balls the calabash appeared. 
And from the cedar drooped its mossy beard ; 
Magnolias, dark-green, and glossy-leaved — 
Beneath whose boughs the crafty spider weaved — 
Held gold and silver blossoms to the sun. 
And tile palmetto fanned itself to rest. 
When by the languid dying wind caressed. 
While mangroves, with their lily-cups were dressed. 
Upon the shores the lazy turtles lay. 
Then to the shining ocean hied away, 
Which grandly glistened in the beams of day; 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 119 

And, far and wide the beauties of the clime 
Spoke only of an endless summer-time. 

XII. 

No more serene appeared the sea, and sky. 
For— capped with foam— the waves were rolling high, 
And adverse winds with savage fury blew, 
And day by day the storm still louder grew 
Till— in distress— the ships for shelter flew, 
And in Jamaica found a tranquil bay, 
Where, on the beach, the sluggish turtles lay. 
Columbus then besought the Virgin's aid, 
And at her feet his supplications laid, 
And with new pleasure gazed on all around 
Rejoicing o'er the port his fleet had found. 
Where savage hands his daily wants supplied. 
And naught^to man by Nature seemed denied. 
Yet even there a chieftain yearned for Spain— 
To voyage o'er the vast, mysterious main— 
But he was warned to ne'er forsake his home 
Across the world for fancied joys to roam, 
For then he'd long for simple pleasures past, 
And wild delights too sweet, alas ! to last. 

XIII. 

Erelong the angry storm had ceased to blow. 

And through the palms the breeze was whisp'nng 

low. 
And playing softly with the cedar boughs. 
Toward Hayti's shore the vessels turned their 

prows. 
But ere 'twas reached Columbus pulseless lay. 
Unconscious, prostrate, nigh to Death a prey. 



120 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Yet though so low the flame of life had burned 

A gleam of health, and reason, soon returned, 

And o'er his face he saw his brother bend — * 

Bartholomew, who'd ever been his friend — 

A welcome sight which kindled hope anew. 

The town of Isabella met his view. 

Where anarchy, and turbulence, prevailed, 

And foes his own authority assailed. 

His brother's aid he sadly needed here 

The Ship of Slate through stormy seas to steer. 

He ordered well, but now disorder reigned, 

And all he saw his spirit only pained. 

Where kindness would have won the native heart 

He found his troops had played a cruel part. 

And ravaged where they neither sowed nor reaped, 

And deep in blood the isle of beauty steeped. 

His army's lawless chief had left for Spain — 

Don Margarite, the false, depraved, and vain — 

Columbus there to slander, and defame — 

To vilify the hero's honored name. 

And with him went corrupt Apostle Boyle, 

Not prone to cast on troubled waters oil. 

" A foe," said they, " Columbus is to Spain, 

Who only labors for his private gain, — 

A despot, too, who aims at sov'reign sway. 

Should we a tyrant of his clime obey. 

And Spain's hidalgos bow beneath his yoke .-' " 

And all the discontented like them spoke. 

They felt in wholesome discipline restraint. 

And deemed their daily toil a social taint, 

While jealous of their leader's Roman race. 

And of his outward comeliness, and grace. 



* Bartholomew Columbus, the companion of his youth, from 
whom he had been separated for several years, and who had 
recently arrived from Spain with supplies for the new colony. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 121 

They labored hard dissensions deep to breed, 
And angry passions day by day to feed. 

XIV. 

Five great caziques held o'er the island sway, 
Whose braves were glad their mandates to obey. 
These — saving one — a secret league had formed, 
And vowed the town, and fortress, should be stormed, 
And all invaders forced the land to flee. 
No more again upon its shores to be. 
Gwa-can-a-gar-i* shrinking from the fray — 
Made answer that his tribe at peace would stay, 
And to the strangers friendly still remain, 
For he was first to greet them from the main 
When, wrecked, they looked tor succor to the shore; 
And he affection for Columbus bore. 
Ca-on-a-bo of Mag-u-a-na ruled 
The native councils, — he in war was schooled, 
Nor from his comrades needed urging on, 
And when he saw the army's chief had gone, 
He deemed the time had come for mortal strife — 
The time to strike for liberty, and life : 
And so the w'ork of vengeance then began, 
Whose bloody course through countless horrors 

ran : 
But Indian triumphs in the war were few. 
While Spanish prowess dusky thousands slew. 
Ca-on-a-bo the mountain fortress fought, f 
But though he struggled hard accomplished naught ; 
Yet only fifty Spaniards battled there 
Against his thousands with their bodies bare. 



* Guacanagari, 

t Fort St. Tlionias, conimaiuled by Alonzo de Ojeda, who 
successfully defended it during a siege lasting thirty days. 



122 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS , 

For thirty days the siege was well sustained, 
And native blood the while the region stained. 
Ojeda of the Spaniards held command, 
And — grand in courage — ruled with iron hand 
Till stung by loss, and wearied with delay, 
The royal savage moved his braves away. 

Gwa-can-a-gar-i made his brethren foes, 
Who on his tribe — in wrath — inflicted woes ; 
And when he learned Columbus had returned 
He of this secret league to tell him yearned, 
And hastened to the ship that bore him back 
To warn him of the islanders' attack. 
And in his cause his friendship pledge anew : — 
A promise in the sequel proving tuie. 

XV. 

The natives far and wide were up in arms, 
And all the land was filled with war's alarms. 
The chief of Mag-u-a-na led the van, 
And swarthy hosts the country overran, 
Ca-on-a-bo exclaiming — " All shall die. 
Or in their ships from this our island fly." 
Ojeda hearing this with fervor cried — 
"Ere now that valiant chieftain I've defied, 
And I'll agree to capture him alive — 
Nor with him ere I make him captive strive — 
And bring him to Columbus — helpless — here. 
With him in bondage, naught have we to fear. 
By stratagem the chief I'll circumvent." 
Columbus said — "To this I yield consent," 
And mounted well — with comrades ten — he rode 
Till he had reached Ca-on-a-bo's abode. 
There with his army gathered round him stood 
The haughty monarch of his native wood. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEIV WORLD. i: 

He knew Ojeda as a daring foe, 

And savage magnanimily would show. 

He welcomed him with hospitable hands, 

And asked his mission to those distant lands. 

Ojeda answered he his friendship sought. 

And tidings glad from great Columbus brought, 

Who ])roffered peace if he'd a treaty sign, 

And pledge himself pacific in design. 

" Come then with me," Ojeda cried, " my brave," 

To whom his hand, to win him o'er, he gave, 

" To Isabella let us both repair, 

And you," said he — to lure the chieftain there — 

" Shall as a gift receive the belfry bell — 

The chapel bell of which you've heard the knell — 

Whose tireless tongue of wondrous "ihings can tell.' 

The speaking bell his fancy captive led. 

For oft he'd wondered what the tongue had said, 

And, eager to possess so rich a prize. 

The chief toward Isabella turned his eyes. 

His warriors with him — an imposing host — • 

Their steps directed toward the eastern coast. 

Ojeda said — " The warriors leave behind 

Till this — the treaty, pledge of peace — is signed." 

But this request the haughty chief refused. 

On which Ojeda — disconcerted, — mused. 

No capture could, with braves around, be made, 

And townward he to lead them felt afraid. 

A trap he, then, to isolate him, laid. 

He showed him gyves of bright Toledo steel 

Worn— as he told — by monarchs of Castile. 

" I'll decorate your limbs," said he, " with these 

If such your taste for ornament would please, 

And let you like a monarch — ride my steed, 

And taste the pleasure of his fiying speed." 

The chieftain mounted, and Ojeda, too, 

A single horse sufficing for the two, 



124 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The feiters both uniting as they rode, 
But no distrust, as yet, the chieftain showed, 
And unsuspicious braves looked idly on, 
Yet while they gazed they started : he was gone. 
The horse that erst had o'er the plain careered 
Plunged toward the woodland shades, and disap- 
peared. 
The chieftain from his army thus was torn, 
And seaward swiftly through the groves was borne, 
A prize securely to Ojeda tied. 
To Isabella 'twas a toilsome ride. 
But there, at last, his steed the captor reined, 
And cried aloud — " Behold ! the prize I've gain'd ! " 
There long the chief was loaded down with chains, 
Nor e'er again he ranged his native plains, 
But brooded sadly, yet with sullen pride. 
And still in spirit, all his foes defied. 
His brother led to battle-fields his braves, 
But these were soon consigned to bloody graves, 
And by Ojeda's hand he met his doom. 
Alas I Still deeper grew poor Hayti's gloom. 

XVI. 

From Spain a fleet, with Torres in command,* 
Reached — with supplies — the San Domingo strand. 
And brought a band of toilers for the land — 
Men skilled in husbandry, and peaceful arts, 
And with no love of battle in their hearts. 
Well might Columbus welcome give to these, 
Who but to labor crossed uncertain seas. 
The fleet conveyed dispatches from the crown, 
Which owned him worthy of his great renown. 



* Antonio de Torres, with a fleet of four vessels, arrived at 
Isabella in the latter part of 1494. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 125 

And told him Portugal, and Spain at last 

Had settled all the troubles of the past, 

For not as yet its work had Slander done, 

Though Enmity to blacken had begun. 

Cokunbus, when the ships returned to Spain 

Was ea^er to display the kingdom's gam, 

And show how rich in products was the West. 

So much he sent with which the isles were blessed, 

And all the gold, and gems, that he had gleaned, 

For to the sanguine side he ever leaned, 

And like his hopes his promises were grand. 

His eyes saw treasure glitter in the sand. 

Would that contented he had rested here. 

And held the freedom of the Indians dear, 

But he this tribute larger still to swell— 

And sad it is thus much of him to tell— 

Sent full five hundred of the conquered braves 

To fret their lives on Spanish soil as slaves— 

\n act which showed the man to justice bhnd, 

But bondage then by few was deemed unkind, 

And Christian hearts all heathen rights ignored. 

Might ruled triumphant with uplifted sword. 

Thus led the bad example of his age 

To blot so foul upon a glowing page. 

In faith a bigot, zealous for his creed. 

He deemed that Christians ne'er the flames would 

feed, . , 

But that the savage, unbaptized, would go 
To deep perdition in the shades below. 
And infidels to him were lawful spoil. 
For Christians doomed forevermore to toil. 

Queen Isabella stretched her hand to save, 
And freedom to the pining captives gave, 
Who, then, once more, were borne across the sea 
To perish in their native land, but free. 



126 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 



XVI r. 

The tribes prepared to fight the common foe, 

And strike the cruel, hated monster low. 

Stung by the capture of Ca-on-a-bo 

They vowed to strike for liberty a blow : — 

All save Gwa-can-a-gar-i — he was still 

Submissive to the stern invaders' will. 

Columbus all his forces summoned then — 

Two hundred well-equipped, and martial men— 

Whose burnished weapons in the sunlight glanced. 

With these, and flags, and music, he advanced — 

While twenty chargers, with their riders, pranced, 

And twenty bloodhounds were, alas ! revealed — 

To meet a hundred thousand in the field. 

The friendly natives marched on either side, 

And with them their cazique, their course to guide. 

But o'er the part he played he sadly sighed. 

On sped tiiey till in morning's golden light 

The mighty Vega burst upon their sight— 

A scene that none could view without delight, 

Though there the hosts had gathered for the 

fight— 
A wooded prairie stretching far away. 
By Flora decked in beautiful array, 
With purple mountains looming o'er it high. 
And bright with lustre from the beaming sky. 
Prodigious palms, mahoganies, and pines — 
Clasped here and there by gay, festooning vines — ■ 
And winding rivers, sparkling, fresh, and clear, 
Diversified the prospect far and near. 
And countless flowers shed their sweet perfume. 
And carpeted the valley with their bloom. 
While villages, and hamlets, half-concealed. 
By deep green woodland gorges were revealed. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 127 

It seemed a very paradise of ease, 
Where all things served primeval man to please. 
The agi, yuca, and batata grew, 
With bursting cotton, clustered in the view, 
The last as spotless as the virgin snows, 
From which were woven hammocks for repose. 
" Ah, what a change," said he, " I now behold — 
A change that seems to make my blood run cold ! 
This region, once so peaceful, and so glad, 
Speaks only of the terrible, and sad. 
'Tis true its beauty charms us as of yore 
When all its sons for us but friendship bore, 
And welcomed us with hospitable smiles 
To this, the fairest of these sunny isles, 
But kindness into wrathful hate has turned : 
Our former friends are foes, and we are spurned. 
For all of which our passions are to blame — 
Vile passions that — remember! — are our shame ; 
And I am forced to strike a victor's blow. 
And plunge the land still deeper in its woe. 
Alas ! for this, for I in peace would reign. 
Nor dye with native blood this blooming plain. 
But self-defence demands it of us, now, 
To make the heathen to our banners bow ! " 
With yells of execration rang the plain. 
As on the Vega came the troops of Spain, 
The friendly Red Men marching in their rear. 
" The traitors," cried the multitude, " are here ! " 
Gwa-can-a-gar-i seemed to shed a tear. 
For he had earned the curses of his kind. 
And bitter thoughts were rankling in his mind. 

The native legions, who in waiting lay. 

With ringing cries began the fatal fray. 

But numbers ne'er could Spanish hearts dismay. 

Ojeda with Columbus led the way. 



128 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The horsemen charged with fury; arrows flew ; 
The bullets whizzed ; and gleaming lances slew; 
And drums were beat, and trumpets loudly brayed, 
And hundreds in their native dust were laid, 
While yells terrific long, and wildly, rang. 
Just then the bloodhounds on their victims sprang, 
And with their fangs their naked bodies tore. 
Such cruel carnage ne'er was seen before. 
The noble savage weltered in his gore. 
The cavalry pursued the flying mass, 
Who cried for mercy, but in vain, alas ! 
With human blood the lovely Vega reeked. 
And vengeance on the infidel was wreaked. 
And this was Christian warfare, woe on woe ; 
Good-will, and peace, on earth were trampled low; 
Revengeful fury, and satanic strife 
Beneath the banner of the Cross were rife. 
Religion served to cloak the blackest stain : 
Fanaticism gloated o'er the slain. 

XVIII. 

Gwa-can-a-gar-i left the tragic scene 

With feelings both of anguish and chagrin. 

Those execrations still were in his ears. 

And for his future he had naught but fears. 

He felt himself a traitor to his race. 

With — on the earth — no safe abiding-place. 

Though he, nor his, had in the battle fought. 

Nor havoc on the tribes contending wrought. 

He knew their hatred and contempt he'd earned, 

And to his home, in sorrow, he returned, 

Where for a while he lingered, sore oppressed. 

For life to him had lost its former zest. 

His people shared in all the island's woes. 

And in their Spanish allies found but foes ; 



GR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 129 

Their tribute was exacted with the sword, 
And all their ancient friendship was ignored. 
Those they had welcomed to their native isle 
Had thus become oppressors, fierce, and vile ; — 
Those they had succored in their dire distress, 
And whom they deemed had come their isle to 

bless, 
Were now their tyrants, and their fatal curse, 
While day by day still grew the prospect worse. 
Hard toil, and want, and cruelty, and care, 
Were more than natures such as theirs could bear, 
And so they passed like autumn leaves away — 
Of man's ingratitude to man the prey — 
Before the blast of that invading host, 
Who held the Cross of Jesus for their boast. 
Their doomed cazique afflicted, and despised — 
And shorn of all that he before had prized — 
Sought refuge in the mountains, there to die 
Alone, and lost to the oppressor's eye : 
And there he breathed — in wretche.dness — his last, 
His mind in torture o'er the bitter past. 

XIX. 

The battle in the Vega had been won, 

But not the work of slaughter yet was done. 

Columbus of the island made a tour 

The fruits of this, his triumph, to secure, 

And bring it all beneath his iron sway. 

Save here and there, where they provoked a fray, 

The people fled — where'er he went — away. 

But where they fought the troops were quick to 

slay. 
The hostile chiefs in sad submission bowed, 
Save one who cried — "I'd rather wear a 

shroud ! " — 



I30 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Be-hech-i-o the lord of Zar-a-gwa, 

Whose wild domain by Cape Tiburon lay, 

And — west — from Isabella far away. 

He, to his home, retreated from the foe, 

And where he went but few, like him, could go. 

The Vega's sov'reign Gwar-i-nex, the mild. 

Exclaimed — "The white men have the isle defiled; 

But in their hands I find myself a child ! 

Why then prolong the struggle ? 'tis in vain, 

All Hayti soon will be the sport of Spain." 

Man-ic-o-tex * — the captive's brother — sighed : 

" All now is o'er : I would that I had died ! 

The Red Man is divested of his pride. 

And crushed forever where he once defied ! " 

Alas! no more, when Peace had taken flight. 

The natives in their island found delight, 

And darkness fell where all before was light. 

Their star was setting in eternal night. 

The Red Men fell before the stronger -White, 

And Might triumphant superseded Right. 

They struggled for their lives, but strove in vain : 

The stern invaders strewed the land with slain, 

And Hayti, reeling at the victor's feet, 

Was forced the banner she abhorred to greet, 

And pay the hated tribute to the foe f 

Who'd desolation spread o'er all below. 



* The brother of Caonabo. 

t The army of Columbus at this time included no more 
than two hundred Spaniards, twenty liorses and as many dogs, 
while the native army embraced a hundred thousand men ; but 
the latter were entirely routed and reduced to submission 
early in the year 1495, "^^^ ^'""^ natives in the province of Cibao 
jjromising to pay as a tribute to Spain a hawksbill full of 
gold dust every three months, and every other inhabitant of 
the island twenty-five pounds of cotton. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 131 

The paradise of liberty, and ease, 

Where all that met the eye was formed to please, 

Had now become a devastated scene. 

And Hayti's children wished they ne'er had been, 

And felt the bitter anguish of despair, 

For Spanish vice, ambition, lust of gain 

Brought to their race destroying toil, and pain, 

And haggard Want where Plenty erst had reigned. 

Contentment died, with Liberty, in woe, 

And Tyranny had struck the Indian low. 

XX. 

Columbus, now, from all exacted toil — 

To daily search for gold, or till the soil — 

And fortress after fortress built he there — 

And manned them with the forces he could spare — 

Till all the natives yielded in despair. 

Thus sure the yoke of servitude was made, 

And deep the plans of lasting thraldom laid. 

Accustomed but to indolence, and bliss, 

They saw a life of misery in this — 

Their roving independence at an end. 

What now to life a single charm could lend ? 

All o'er were, now, the day-dreams in the shade. 

The calm siestas by the stream, or glade. 

Or 'neath the spreading palm-tree in the grove. 

In hammocks from their snowy cotton wove ; — 

All o'er the glad areytos they had sung 

Before their hearts by anguish thus wttxt wrung, 

For plaintive airs, and these but seldom heard, 

Alone to life by pensive lips were stirred ; — 

All o'er the merry dances to the drum, 

For Freedom's death made Mirth for ever dumb. 

Exhausted by the labors of the day, 

They weary down to slumber, nightly, lay, 



1.32 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

But with the chiwn their efforts to renew — 
In servitude their travail to pursue. 
Thus forced to bend beneath the victors' yoke 
I'hey oft their woes, in lamentations, spoke, 
And worn by labor pined their lives away, 
•Their white invaders' sore tormented prey. 
Death with its sickle swiftly cut them down, 
And Mercy on the island cast a frown. 

At length they planned by Famine to destroy, 

Or, failing this, to punish, and annoy. 

They all resolved no more to till the soil. 

And that which lay around them to despoil. 

Then — leaving all behind them but a waste — 

Once more the sweets of former freedom taste 

By fleeing to the mountains for awhile 

Till these invadets left the blighted isle. i 

The plan was executed as designed, j 

And with a common impulse all combined. \\ 

Their fields, and groves, became a scene of waste, 

From which with one accord they fled in haste : 

But all in vain they sought for peace, and rest — 

To ills escape which so their race oppressed — 

For they were to their wild retreats pursued, 

And there became a fleeing multitude. 

To dreary and to sterile heights they hied 

Intent on refuge, eager there to hide ; 

But there, in flight, they passed from place to 

place, 
Like stags, or foxes, with the hounds in chase — 
The women with their children in their arms — 
All troubled with perpetual alarms. 
And with fatigue, and hunger, faint, and worn. 
Well o'er their fate Humanity might mourn, 
But foes like theirs for them no mercy knew, 
And pitilessly they their victims slew. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 133 

At ev'ry sudden sound that met the ear 

Tlie hunted host gave way to rising fear. 

They knew not but the horsemen, then, were near. 

They hid themselves in caverns, damp and dark, 

And all day long would watch for foes, and hark ; 

Or lurk in gullies, where the torrents flowed, 

Afraid to seek an easier abode: 

'J'o hunt, or fish, not daring forth to go — 

But deeply plunged, where'er they turned, in woe — 

Nor yet to venture out in search of roots. 

Or Nature's banquet of refreshing fruits. 

Thus, Famine, Terror, Anguish, and Fatigue, 

Against them formed a devastating league. 

And thousands perished, by Misfortune slain — 

The victims of the cruelty of Spain. 

Resistance to oppression died away. 

And at the tyrants' feet the island lay. 

The natives still surviving, in despair 

Went back, resolved the bitter yoke to bear, 

And of their fierce invaders lived in fear, 

With little left their earthly lot to cheer. 

XXI. 

Apostle Boyle, and Margarite in Spain 
To justify themselves, and favor gain. 
On brave Columbus strove to cast a stain, 
And aided by Fonseca, long his foe. 
They struck, like traitors, an aggressive blow ; 
And slander followed slander, till the Crown 
Deemed he but ill deserved his great renown. 
And on his course appeared to sternly frown. 
His great success had multiplied his foes. 
And Hate, and Envy, worked without repose 
To wrest from him the bays so bravely won, 
And leave him wrecked, and utterly undone — 



134 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

His honors, and his riches filched away, 

And he — a ruin — shorn of all his sway. 

A royal envoy then was sent from Spain, 

His mission tidings of the truth to gain — 

One whom Columbus praised in days before, 

Who for him, then, but love, and friendship, bore. 

For this the sov'reigns Aguado chose,* 

But he became the chief of all his foes, 

An ingrate with a base, ignoble aim — 

An instrument to blast the hero's fame. 

And throw discredit on his brothers' name,f 

For when he landed he exclaimed — " Behold ! 

Authority where'er I go I hold! 

From King, and Queen, I come to judge the land, 

And take of its aflairs supreme command. 

And all ye know against Columbus speak ! 

The time has come when I must vengeance wreak 

On all who've done dishonor to the throne. 

To me let all complaints, and wrongs be known !" 

Throughout the isle the story quickly ran 

That he — Columbus — lay beneath the ban, 

And would no more his sceptre o'er it wield : — 

His fate had been by Aguado sealed. 

His foes gave welcome to his overthrow, 

And sought to drag his reputation low. 

While all the pining children of the soil 

Saw in the change — how vainly ! — rest from toil. 

Columbus, who was camping far away. 

On hearing this, returned without delay. 

And met his boasting rival on the way, 

* Don Juan Aguado arrived from Spain, at Isabella, in 
October, 1495, and Diego Columbus, who had gone to Spain 
with the fleet of Torres, returned with him. 

t The two brothers of Columbus were now with him — 
Bartholomew, who had been appointed Adelantado of the 
island, and Diego, who held a subordinate military command. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 135 

Then of the slighted Admiral in quest, 

Exclaiming he his course would soon arrest. 

His insolence, and spite, Columbus saw, 

But his credentials were to him as law. 

For like his faith his loyalty was strong. 

And in its name he bent the knee to wrong, 

And showed his moderation in his mien. 

*' I humbly bow," said he, " to King, and Queen, 

And whatsoe'er their envoy may decree 

Will be obeyed, with willingness, by me." 

By look nor word displeasure he would show, 

But uncomplaining drink the cup of woe. 

The petty despot held him in disdain, 

And pleasure found in giving needless pain ; 

And when his task was done he sailed for Spain 

To paint Columbus there in colors dark. 

" I too," said he, "for Spain will now embark, 

And there refute my vile traducers — all 

Who've urged the crown to order my recall. 

False tales they've told with sinister design — 

My reputation thus to undermine — • 

Of my ambition, cruelty, and greed. 

But truth is great, and this the Queen will heed, 

Though friendless, and an alien am I, 

For she is rightly guided from on high ! " 

Before he sailed he left in full command 

Bartholomew — his brother — o'er the land. 

And bade him rule with prudence, and with zeal, 

His only aim to be the island's weal.* 

* Columbus sailed from the town of Isabella, Hayti, on the 
loth of March, 1496, after having built several forts on the 
island and placed the civil government on a sound basis. He 
invested his brother Bartholomew with supreme power over the 
affairs of tiie island in his absence, and took with him to Spain 
two hundred and twenty-five sick or discontented Spaniards 
and thirty Indians. 



136 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And with him went Ca-on-a-bo, the brave, 

Who in the deep Atlantic found his grave. 

He Hke a hero in his fetters died, 

Unbroken to the last his native pride. 

The noble savage, broken-hearted, fell — 

Invasion's victim chained on earth to hell. 

Ah ! ne'er he thought in happy days of yore — 

Ere fierce invaders landed on his shore. 

And bathed his country in his people's gore, 

And robbed him of his greatness evermore — 

That such a fate the future held in store — 

So cruel, and so pitiless, and hard — 

As that which — in his prime — his life had marred. 

Three months of adverse winds and stormy seas — 
With Famine gaining on them by degrees — 
Columbus and his motley crew had braved 
Ere, sighting land, one morn, they cried " We're 

saved ! " 
And soon at Cadiz moored their leaking bark. 
On which all vowed they'd nevermore embark.* 

XXII. 

The loud applause which he had known before 
Was in the streets of Cadiz heard no more, 
And men were silent where they'd praised of yore. 
The voice of praise was in detraction hushed, 
And he — Columbus — felt his spirit crushed. 
The sick, and discontented of the isle 
Were seen ashore — a wretched train — to file. 
And these their dismal tales of hardship told. 



* Cohimbus reached Cadiz on the nth of June, 1496, after a 
stormy voyage of three months. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 137 

Which stifled ardor even in the bold, 

And dissipated all their dreams of gold. 

The mighty deed that once so grandly shone 

Had lost its charm, and old the story grown. 

But naught could wholly blight his great renown, 

And kindly was his greeting from the crown, 

For he with thirty natives of the West — 

With ornaments of gold, and feathers dressed — 

In Burgos, at the Court of Spain appeared, 

In monkish garb, and with a lengthy beard — 

The signs of sadness that his heart had seared, 

For he — if not disgrace — reproach had feared.* 

For this, and more, his foes had planned, but failed, 

As he was well by Ferdinand regaled, 

Though all his seeming friendship was but feigned. 

From him Columbus naught to solace gained, 

But Isabella still his friend remained. 

Don Aguado's words unheeded fell, 

And Spain proclaimed that he had served her well. 

He spoke in glowing terms of all he'd seen 

Where ev'ry island was a fairy scene ; 

He told of Hayna's boundless golden mines, 

And of his vast, and fanciful designs; 

For Hayna was the Ophir known of old. 

Which yet would yield the kingdom wealth untold ; 

The treasure-house of Hayti, there it lay 

As it had done in King Belshazzar's day — 

The stepping-stone to glory, and Cathay. 

" I need,"" said he, " a squadron to explore 

The wonders of the East, and Mangi's shore," 

But though 'twas promised he had long to wait — 

Such seemed too oft to be his luckless fate — 

* He was at this time clad in humble garb like a Francis- 
can monk, and he had suffered his beard to grow like that of 
one of the brethren of that order, probably in fulfilment of a 
penitential vow. 



13S THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

While he of disappointments weary grew, — 
For hard he found it 'mid neglect to sue — 
Before the promised vessels met his view. 
Then he exclaimed in gladness — " Spain, adieu ! " 
For base Fonseca, and his creatures vile — 
Men full of hatred, envy, malice, guile — 
Had vexed his life with countless petty ills, 
And made him cry — " 'Tis this that galls, and kills ! 
A sorry page Fonseca's story fills. 
Cold-blooded, crafty, jealous of his fame, 
To mar Columbus was his constant aim, 
And turn the glory of his life to shame.* 



PART VI. 



The Third Voyage of Columbus and Discov- 
ery OF THE Continent of America. — Re- 
turning IN Fetters. 

I. 

With joy Columbus sailed again away 
To seek a Western passage to Cathay, 
And find new countries in the glowing West, 
And satisfy the longings in his breast. f 

* Bishop Fonseca, from his position at the head of the De- 
partment of the Indies, was enabled to do him injury in 
numerous, and often secret ways, and his implacable hostility 
to Columbus followed him to the close of his career. 

t After a delay of two years from the time of his return, 
Columbus sailed from San Lucar, .S]5ain, on his third voyage, 
May 30, 1498, with six ships, and five hundred Spaniards, 
most of whom had been released from the prisons of the coun- 
try for this purpose, it being now ordered that none but Cas- 
tilians should go to the newly-discovered territories. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 139 

Six sail were in the squadron he possessed, 

And these he felt the Lord of Hosts had blessed, 

For he was ever faithful to the Cross, 

With which compared all else was earthly dross. 

South-westward toward the equinoctial line 

He steered his barks, for vast was his design. 

There like a mirror the Atlantic lay, 

While dolphins on its breast were seen to play, 

And lazily the vessels rose, and fell. 

With flapping sails, upon the gentle swell, 

While panting crews beneath the torrid sun 

Lost strength, and spirits — felt themselves undone. 

Day after day the air a furnace seemed, 

And fervid rays upon them brightly beamed. 

The burning decks displayed their yawning seams, 

And from the rigging tar ran down in streams. 

Hoops shrank from barrels they had long embraced, 

And food, and water swiftly went to waste. 

While overhead a clear, and cloudless sky 

Gave no refreshment to the languid eye. 

A perfect calm, and perfect silence reigned, 

While sunset's dyes the sleeping ocean stained, 

And all around a dazzling splendor threw. 

Each cloud reflecting some delightful hue. 

In grand array the vapors brightly shone 

Like beacon-fires that lighted all the zone. 

And turned the stagnant deep to molten gold, 

Then changed their tints — inspiring to behold — 

And flung their crimson shadows, far and wide, 

In beauty that the artist's brush defied. 

What vision could have brighter, grander been 

Than this refulgent and inspiring scene.'' 

All space was filled with colors rich and rare, 

While clear and sultry was the ev'ning air 

As Phoebus in a burst of glory set 

Where sky and sea, as lips in kisses, met. 



140 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS', 

These gorgeous, and fantastic cloudlets broke 
In shapeless ruins, vanishing like smoke. 
High, bold, and rugged promontories flashed, 
And seeming waves against them, foaming, dashed, 
While islands glittered in a sea of blue. 
And lent a charming feature to the view. 
Outstretching capes diversified a coast 
Whose scenery magnificence could boast — 
Gay, picturesque, and full of creeks and bays, 
Flushed by the rosy twilight to a blaze. 
Then silver lakes apj^eared, with wooded isles. 
While still the sun shed, far and wide, his smiles. 
Broad, sloping meadows, and umbrageous woods 
Were bathed in mellow rainbow-tinted floods, 
Each airy landscape vivid to the eye — 
Like worlds of light beyond the beaming sky. 
The landscapes slowly faded into night. 
And stars shot one by one upon the sight — 
Celestial lamps with ever-welcome light; 
Then darkness gathered quickly o'er the scene, 
And naught but mem'ry told of what had been. 

II. 

At length due westward slowly sailed the fleet, 
And by degrees less torrid grew the iieat. 
A gentle breeze the flapping canvas swelled, 
While foam was in each vessel's wake beheld. 
The ships from Spain for sixty days had sped 
Ere land one joyous morn was seen ahead, 
And then an isle above the waters rose 
As if its varied beauties to disclose. 
And on its shores were waving royal palms — 
Beyond the surf that sung eternal psalms — 
Tall, standing in relief against the sky, 
While other trees in splendor rose as high, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 141 

One j'ielding fruit that gav^e the natives bread. 

" Let this be Trinidad," Columbus said, 

" A happy isle so picturesque, and bright, 

Is to our wearied eyes a lovely sight."* 

The natives flocked in numbers to the shore. 

And some, as presents, gaudy parrots bore — 

Birds green and gold, with wings of vivid red. 

Or with the tints of blue and scarlet, wed — 

Tame, and submissive to their masters' will. 

And taught to speak, and imitate with skill. 

Columbus saw the houris decked with pearls — 

Piewitching terra-cotta-looking girls — 

And in exchange he gave them beads of glass, 

And ornanients of tin, and bells of brass. 

They asked him how from Turey — yea, the sky — 

His vessels knew so well the way to fly. 

And if their world was like the worlds on high. 

As on the morrow, south-and-west he sailed 
His eyes were by the continent regaled — 
A prospect grand, magnificent, sublime.t 
In the resplendent sunset of the clime 
There lay the mighty mainland, vast and wild, 
With hill on hill in wooded grandeur piled — 
A sight he'd ne'er beheld in days of yore, 
Though Cabot on its shores had gazed before. 
And borne the tidings back to England's shore : 
But of its wondrous future, then, who dreamed. 
Or how 'twould be from savage life redeemed ? 
There in that glowing eventide it beamed : 
Yet to Columbus but an isle it seemed. 

* The island of Trinidad was discovered on the 31st of 
July, 1498. 

t The Continent of America was discovered by Columlius 
on the 1st of August, 1498, at Terra Firma. It had, however, 
been discovered by John Cabot, on the 24th of June, 1497. 



142 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

At length, howe'er, he said — " Methinks we see 
The Asiatic mainland on our lee, 
For yonder stream with current deep, and strong, 
Proclaims its course from source to sea is long — 
So long the country scarce an isle can be. 
And Paradise itself it seems to me ! " * 



III. 

Along the coast Columbus sailed his ships. 

And fervent prayers were heard from Christian lips ; 

New isles unfolded their alluring slopes. 

And Spanish hearts beat high with golden hopes. 

Tobago, and Granada rose to view, 

And died away again in ocean's blue. 

Enchanted realms within their vision's range 

Rose, as into existence, wild, and strange. 

Their nature and extent unknown, and vast, 

Surpassing all they'd dreamed of in the past. 

Each day displayed new features, grand, sublime. 

To them fresh-born, but, yet, as old as Time. 

Scene after scene a thousand charms disclosed, 

And in the shade of palm-trees man reposed. 

From whom, by signs and broken speech, they 

learned 
The rocks were veined with gold, for which they 

yearned. 
The groves with spices teemed, while drops of dew. 
In open shells, to pearls of beauty grew. 
Long lines of coast stretched far as eye could reach. 
With wide diversities of view, and beach. 
With here and there a cape, a bluff, a bay. 
Vast, verdant valleys, grandly swept away, 

* Columbus believed that he had here at Terra Firma 
actually discovered the site of the Garden of Eden. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 143 

Far inland to the happy lands beyond 

Where waved — who knew? — the arch enchanter's 

wand, 
Where Mangi and Cathay might blooming lie, 
With mighty cities mounting toward the sky, 
Columbus longed to see their splendors nigh, 
And, in imagination, oft would fly 
To where their towers flashed beneath the sun. 
And wealth and glory seemed already won. 
'Twas not more wondrous fancy thus should play 
Fantastic tricks, than that the light of day 
Should so reveal a world, so rich and fair, 
With summer skies and ever-balmy air. 

IV. 

The cedar, and the cypress, and the pine, 
The Cottonwood, the ceiba, and the vine, 
Formed vast and lustrous groves, within whose 

shade. 
Or on the margin of some blooming glade, 
The island beauties in their hammocks swung. 
While overhead the feathered minstrels sung. 
The bread-fruit spread its leaves to catch the sun, 
Nor sought the tamarind its rays to shun, 
And in the forest's deep recesses grew 
Trees, varied as their fruits' and blossoms' hue. 
The ever-graceful palms rose here and there, 
On stately trunks, tall, picturesque and bare. 
And aromatic odors filled the air. 
The scenes were drowsy, but surpassing fair! 

V. 

For full two hundred leagues Columbus sped 
Till bold Cape Vela reared its rocky head; 



144 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Then turning seaward he for Hayti steered, 
And soon its high and wooded shores appeared.* 
A thousand times the sun had rose and set — 
A thousand times had Night displayed her jet — 
Since he had left it on his way to Spain, 
And he was eager, tidings, now, to gain. 
Though racked by fever, and a prey to pain — 
Emaciated, haggard, nearly blind — 
A wreck in body, but himself in mind. 
Bartholomew — his brother — met him here — 
With loving words of welcome, sweet to hear — 
Who while he told of evil tried to cheer, 
For to each other they were ever dear. 
So gloomy was the tale he had to tell, 
That sadly on his auditor it fell, 
Francisco Roldan, second in command, 
Had filled with strife, and anarchy, the land,f 
Defied the rule of Don Bartholomew, 
And ranged the island with his rebel crew, 
While faithful to Columbus there were few. 
Thus discord, born of insurrection, reigned, 
And lawless faction government disdained. f 



* Columbus anchored off the new city of S.in Domingo, 
(Mayti), on the 30th of August, 1498. The capital had been 
removed to this point from Isabella by his brother during the 
discoverer's aiisence, and it long remained the most consider- 
able European settlement in the New World. 

t In the absence of Christopher Columbus, Roldan, whom 
he had appointed second in control of the affairs of the island, 
separated himself from liartholonicw Columbus, the acting 
governor, and created a faction. He renounced the two 
brothers, and sent scandalous charges against their character 
and designs to Spain, hoping thereby to prevent the return of 
Christopher Columbus. He and his followers had mutinied 
and seized the king's arms and provisions and endeavored to 
capture the fort at San Domingo. Christopher Columbus, 
however, succeeded in making terms of peace with him by 
which he and the other mutineers were reinstated in their for- 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 145 

The rebel strength was like a serpent's coils 

When living prey is held within its toils. 

And in its chief Columbus saw a foe — 

A traitor who desired his overthrow, 

One he had lifted from a low estate, 

But whose ambition aimed at greater state — 

A reckless leader, fearless of his fate. 

VI. 

Columbus gazed with sadness on the scene 

As he remembered what the isle had been. 

Its ancient charm, and opulence had fled. 

And hosts who once had ranged it now were dead. 

Grim want, and anguish o'er the land had spread, 

And with the blood of natives it was red, 

For in revolt again the Vega rose. 

And Gwaronese was hunted by his foes 

Till captive in the mountains he was made, 

No more his country's hopeless cause to aid. 

No longer toiled the natives in the mines, 

And Famine showed its desolating signs. 

No more the hand of Culture nursed the land. 

And in each tribe was seen a wand'ring band. 

Once more, 'tis true, the Vega tranquil lay. 

But from its groves its sons had hied away, 

And in the mountains led a roving life, 

Or perished there bv hunger, or by strife. 

The isle so full of Nature's sweets of yore. 

And which a wealth of bliss and beauty bore 

mer offices. In consequence of this agreement, lands wore al- 
lotted to the latter in different parts of the island, and the In- 
dians in each locality were required to cultivate a prescribed 
portion of land for their new masters. This service was sub- 
stituted for the tribute previously imposed, and it introduced 
among the Spaniards the general distribution of Indians in 
all their settlements, resulting in the most cruel oppression. 



146 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Was now the scat of wretchedness, and hate, 

Columbus mourned its melancholy fate. 

Man's angry passions joy had turned to woe. 

Elysium was banished at a blow, 

And Purgatory hailed its overthrow. 

Reluctant the insurgents to attack 

Columbus labored long to win them back, 

For well his weakness in their strength he saw, 

And force he found more powerful than law. 

He pardon offered, and rewards to all, 

And promised threats of vengeance to recall, 

And begged of K.oldan to — in peace — return, 

Nor lenity — forgiveness — longer spurn. 

But Roldan was exacting, and replied 

In lofty terms of arrogance, and pride : 

Nor would he yield submissively his sword 

Till he as Mayor Alcalde was restored, 

With all of which he stood accused denied; 

" And give me lands my soldiers can divide," 

He, too, demanded — " They may here abide, 

But some to Spain propose to take their way, 

For whom a ship must sail without delay ! " 

Hard terms were these, and insolent indeed, 

But all he asked to Roldan was decreed. 

Peace had humiliation for its price, 

And public Virtue compromised with Vice. 

Columbus felt by angry thoughts oppressed. 

And long they rankled in his troubled breast. 

"A thief," said he, "my purse from me may 

wrest ; 
So I may yield to Roldan all he claims. 
But I abhor the traitor and his aims ! " 
Restored to station Roldan proved a foe. 
Who, deeper still, Columbus plunged in woe. 
Mean, arrogant, defiant, haughty, vain, 
He strove to drive the hero with a rein, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 147 

To strip Iiiin of authority, and state, 

And toward iiini, througli the island, kindle hale, 

For Spanish blood was jealous of his fame, 

And tongues were ever busy to defame. 

A Genoese an Admiral of Spain ! 

The very thought gave Spain's hidalgos pain : 

But out of chaos order came at last, 

And he — Columbus — half forgot the past. 

Yet ceaseless havoc still the Spaniards wrought, 

Who native rights were prone to count as 

naught, 
And ev'ry Spaniard held his share of braves, 
Which cruel wrongs consigned to early graves. 
No tongue can tell, nor language e'er describe 
The bitter fate which scourged each native tribe. 



VII. 

One dear, Ca-on-a-bo had left behind 

When he the world, with all its grief, resigned — 

One he had loved ere she became his bride, 

And in whose breast that love had never died. 

She o'er his fate in sadness — pining — sighed, 

And — seeking help — to graven idols cried. 

An-ac-a-o-na, fair, had loved him long, 

And sung his praises in pathetic song. 

A daughter, too, he left behind to rue 

The day the Spaniards first appeared to view — 

Hig-u-e-nam-o-ta, all Hayti's pride. 

A young hidalgo wooed her for his bride. 

One erst a rebel, and of Roldan's band. 

Who proffered to the willing maid, his hand, 

And blest she felt in loving one whose love 

Seemed sent by angels from the world above 

To make her glad forever on the earth. 

She seemed in him to find a second birth; 



148 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For, to her unsophisticated eyes, 

God-lilce was he, and precious was her prize. 

His smiles within her bosom kindled joy, 

And for a season bliss had no alloy. 

He loved her, too, for love doth love beget, 

And prayed misfortune ne'er their lives would fret, 

And these, like placid streams, forever flow, 

Unchequered by disaster, grief, or woe, 

Through an eternal summer of delight : 

But soon, alas ! their joy was put to flight. 

His rival Roldan marred Guevara's bliss, 

Exclaiming — " I can ne'er consent to this ! " 

And from the luscious groves of sweet Cahay — 

His stern commander bade him take his way. 

So from Cahay he went, but ne'er could stay 

Where she was not, and back in secret came 

To feed with kisses love's deep, glowing flame. 

She welcomed warmly his return, and told 

How much she loved him — more than pearls and 

gold — 
The story ever new, yet none so old — 
And nestled by his side, rejoiced to feel 
Her lot again was one of boundless weal : 
But ah ! too sweet to last ; erelong once more 
The lover true the jealous Roldan tore 
From paradise to prison, 'mid the cry 
Of "Cursed be traitors, — they must surely die!" 
He saw himself a branded culprit now, 
Though to his doom 'twas hard indted to bow. 
His kinsman Moxico appealed to arms 
To rescue one thus torn from maiden charms, 
And through the region sounded war's alarms. 
" Come on, my comrades ! " Moxico exclaimed, 
" From Roldan shall the Vega be reclaimed, 
For once our friend behold him now our foe; 
And we will strike his chief — Columbus — low. 



OK THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 149 

For is he not the tyrant of the land ? 

We'll wrest the sword from his despotic hand, 

And to his lady-love Guevara lead, 

For he is brave, and she is fair indeed. 

For Spain, Columbus bade him leave the isle, 

Ere on his suit he saw the maiden smile, 

And to our cause believe me he is true : 

No stauncher rebel e'er his weapon drew 1 " 

VIII, 

Columbus broke upon the troubled scene — 

The splendid Vega, bright with gold and green — 

And captured those who there the rebels led, 

Who from his anger would have gladly fled ; 

For he at last resolved to be severe, 

Nor threats, nor vauntings, of his foes to fear: 

And Mexico, arrested in his flight — 

His fatal fault was eagerness to fight — 

Was, with conspiring comrades, quickly slain, 

His cries for mercy from Columbus vain, 

Who until now had ever mercy shown, 

But, weary of ingratitude, had grown. 

The love-lorn maiden feared her lover's fate 

Would be like his, so sad to contemplate. 

And prayed Columbus, for her sake, to spare 

One whose disgrace, and doom, she'd gladly share. 

Far off in San Domingo fort he lay 

In fetters dreaming of her all the day. 

And sadly for her lover now she sighed. 

To rescue whom she'd fain herself have died. 

Her days of deep dejection slowly passed — 

Long months of anguish ; each one seemed her 

last— 
And she was told he'd met a traitor's fate 
High on a gibbet at the fortress gate. 



150 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Her young heart bled with overwhelmuig grief — 

The native princess mourned her Spanish chief — 

And in despair she wandered to and fro 

Through lonely woods repeating words of woe. 

At length one morn before her he appeared, 

And at a glance her drooping spirit cheered. 

He fondly pressed her to his manly breast, 

And with his loving arms her form caressed. 

She stood before him with astonished eyes, 

A strange embodiment of wild surprise • 

And then her joy welled forth in gladsome tears — 

How false her tidings, and how vain her fears I — 

As from the dead she welcomed him to life. 

He came to claim her as his plighted wife. 

Consent she yielded, with a willing heart, 

And both then vowed they never more would part. 

There in the Christian church, baptized, she knelt, 

Forgetting sorrow in the joy she felt — 

The native princess and the cavalier, 

Each loved, and loving, to the other dear. 

But all in vain ! Recaptured, he was torn 

From honeyed bliss, and to the fortress borne, 

And there he languished, treason-tainted, long, 

A victim, as he deemed it, of a wrong. 

Expecting on the gibbet soon to die — 

A fate from which he vainly strove to fly — 

Till Bobadilla set the captives free. 

And he was filled with loving ecstasy. 

He flew to his enchantress in Cahay, 

And night again was turned to lustrous day. 



IX. 

The friends of Roldan labored hard in Spain 
To cast upon the Admiral a stain, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 151 

And all the discontented from the isle — 

The envious, the lawless, and the vile — 

Joined in the swelling chorus of complaint 

Until his reputation felt the taint. 

They saw in him the tyrant of the West, 

Who cruelly the colony oppressed — 

A foreigner aspiring to a throne — 

Who wished to see the New World all his own. 

Of him ere this the King had jealous grown. 

And now he deemed that danger was at hand, 

And vowed he'd send an envoy to the land, 

A strict accounting promptly to demand. 

But it was long before the deed was done : 

A year the while its steady course had run. 

For Ferdinand was lovingly restrained 

By Isabella, whom the prospect pained. 

"Who else," she asked, "has such achievements 

wrought. 
And with such mighty consequences fraught ? 
He may have erred, for none are perfect here. 
But of the Lord I know he lives in fear. 
'Tis true he would the islanders enslave — 
And this I deem an iniquity grave — 
A fate from which I'll labor all to save, 
But few can wrong in their enslavement see. 
Not more than others, thus, to blame is he. 
The New World's cost, thus far, exceeds the 

gain, 
But mark the glory it has won for Spain, 
And see what promised riches we behold 
In Hayna's mines, that teem with virgin gold ! 
Still, if his trust Columbus has abused. 
And justice to his servitors refused. 
Producing thus a hatred of his sway, 
'Tis right the Crown for him should point the 

way; 



152 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But then in kindness, rather than reproof, 

For he has labored well in our behoof. 

The tales of his ambition, and his greed. 

Are unsupported by a single deed. 

'Tis well to hear — not always well to heed ! " 

So fierce, and loud at lengtla the clamor grew, 

And what was false, in time, appeared so true. 

That King, and Queen, upon their course agreed. 

To Hayti a commission was decreed. 

"Columbus," said the King, "has asked the 

Crown 
To send a man of learning, and renown. 
And who is versed profoundly in the law, 
To hold the lawless elements in awe. 
And as a justice o'er the isle preside, 
Disputed questions fairly to decide — 
One who will judge of Roldan's wrongful acts, 
Unprejudiced, and in the light of facts. 
This I will do, and Bobadilla name — 
A knight of Calatrava, known to fame — 
To execute this all-important task; 
Columbus could no abler jurist ask. 
As ample as his needs his powers shall be, 
His course of action, as he wills it, free, 
But he must use discretion, move with care. 
Be slow to punish, and be quick to spare. 
Respectful to the Admiral, and kind, 
Yet firm of purpose in the work designed. 
And if his deeds should justify disgrace 
Columbus he may summon from his place, 
And with his kin, dispatch him back to Spain, 
While he — to rule — may in his stead remain." * 



* The implacable enemies of Columbus having renewed 
their complaints against him — including those of disloyalt)', 



OK THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 153 



X. 

Commissioned thus, the envoy sailed away, 
And gazed, at length, where San Domingo lay. 
There, as he entered port, on either hand, 
A gibbet cast its shadow on the land, 
And on each gibbet was a Spaniard's form — 
A victim of the internecine storm. 
But now the storm had nearly died away : 
Columbus ruled with undisputed sway, 
And at his mercy all the rebels lay. 
Already thus a few had met their fate. 
While on the hangman more had yet to wait. 
Where Fort Conception in the Vega rose 
His arms were now the terror of his foes. 



and meditated treachery, to Spain— Ferdinand and Isabella 
sent Don Francisco de Bobadilla, an officer of the royal 
household, as a judc;e to enquire into his conduct and with 
authority to send him back to Spain, and to remain himself as 
governor of Hayti.in the event of his finding the accusations 
true, and the interests of the sovereigns requiring it. Boba- 
dilla on his arrival at San Domingo— which took place on the 
23d of August, 1500 — executed his task with unwarranted 
severity. He assumed— before enquiring into the charges 
against Columbus— the governorship of the settlement him- 
self, amended laws, seized the property of Columbus, and sent 
him and his brothers home as prisoners, in chains early in 
October, 1500, all of which was contrary to his instructions. 
The captain of the vessel by which Columbus was sent, 
moved by respect for his years and public services, offered to 
remove his irons, but he refused to permit it, saying—" Since 
the King has commanded that I should obey Bobadilla, he 
shall find me as obedient to this as I have been to all his 
other orders. If mv labors deserve these chains as a reward, it 
is fit that I should wear them to Spain, and keep them by me, as 
memorials, to the end of my life." He accordingly kept them 
till his death, and ordered them to be buried withhis body. 



154 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And he in person o'er them held command, 
Amid a scene still beautiful, and grand. 
While Roldan, and Bartholomew, pursued 
Through Zaragwa the rebel multitude — 
The few uncaptured, who affrighted fled. 
Filled by the fate of Mexico with dread, — 
And Diego held in San Domingo sway — 
A fort that to a city led the way. 
Sedition in the army now was dead — 
Crushed by the rigor of that army's head. 
At last he seemed a triumph to have won, 
For Faction had its course to ruin run, 
And o'er the island peace began to reign. 
A sudden change, and lo! t'was all in vain! 

XI. 

Don Diego saw from San Domingo fort 

Two barks whose sails were trimmed to enter port. 

Forthwith, to learn the tidings, a canoe 

Shot swiftly toward them o'er the waters blue. 

"I come," said Bobadilla, "from the Crown 

To learn why Fortune on the isle doth frown. 

And wherefore Roldan, and his band, rebelled 

When they should law and order have upheld. 

How fares the island now ? Is peace restored. 

Or is it still distracted by the sword ? 

What mean those gibbets, and their Spanish 

dead. 
And what to scenes so tragic could have led ? 
I seek Columbus : — tell me where is he .'' 
And bid the discontented come to me ! " 
The messenger from Diego then replied — 
" By Mexico Columbus was defied, 
And with Guevara, and a reckless band. 
He sought to take possession of the land. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 155 

All — under Roldan — rebels were before, 

But they had vowed to mutiny no more. 

No bounds the anger of Columbus knew, 

And he was quick the traitors to pursue, 

And Moxico was gibbeted on high 

With many more condemned like him to die. 

Some with Guevara still in prison lie 

And they ere long their comrades' fate will 

share, 
And on the gibbet taint the tropic air. 
The rest have to the mountains fled away. 
The native tribes have also been subdued. 
But in their stead is left a solitude. 
Columbus bids defiance to his foes, 
And in the Vega, now, he courts repose ! " 
A frown the face of Bobadilla wore. 
While Nature smiled in sunlight on the shore, 
And palm-trees waved responsive to the breeze : 
But from the isle had fled content, and ease. 
The native tribes were dwindling day by day, 
To their relentless conquerors a prey, 
And even these enjoyment marred with strife, 
And death was busy in the midst of life. 

XII. 

The envoy landed when the morning came, 
His mission to the people to proclaim, 
And this was done as soon as Mass was o'er 
Before the church's cross-surmounted door. 
The multitude in eager wonder gazed, 
And more and more, while list'ning, felt amazed. 
" He comes to trace the insurrection's cause, 
To seize the rebels, and enforce the laws. 
To strip delinquents of whate'er they cuvn, 
And make the evils of the island known. 



156 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

A task in which Columbus is to aid. 
By all must Bobadilla be obeyed ! " 
Such was the royal letter that was read, 
And far, and wide, the tidings quickly spread. 
Then to Don Diego Bobadilla cried — 
" The fate of all the captives I'll decide. 
Surrender them where'er they are to me, 
And reasons give why they should not be free ! " 
"Not this," Don Diego answered, "I can do 
While to my brother's orders I am true, 
But I to him will forward your request, 
And he, perchance, will yield to your behest !" 
With scorn, and anger flashing in his eye — 
A look which seemed Columbus to defy — 
The envoy said — "Then you my right deny ? 
But greater than your brother here am I ! " 
And when the morrow came, and Mass was o'er, 
While all a look of expectation wore. 
Another letter from the Crown was read 
Which further still the growing wonder fed. 
And made him chief-commander of the isles. 
As bold as base were Bobadilla's wiles, 
For he was charged to leave it unproclaimed 
Save in the dire events the Crown had named. 
Again he cried — "The captives I demand !" 
"My brother here," said Diego, "holds con- 
man d, 
And by his orders I must firmly stand, 
Though I revere, in humbleness, the throne. 
To him I am responsible, alone ! " 
This angered Bobadilla all the more. 
And by Castile, and Aragon, he swore. 
Then he another mandate from the Crown 
Caused to be read before the gaping town. 
It bade Columbus, and his kin, to yield 
The ships, the forts, the armies in the field. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 157 

And all beside they held in trust for Spain. 

Once more the stern demand was made in vain, 

For still Don Diego spoke — " I firm remain ! " 

In wrath said Bobadilla — " I appeal 

For aid to all who honor old Castile 

To take by force the captives that I claim 

In Ferdinand and Isabella's name ! " 

" Surrender ! " — at the fort — the envoy cried, 

But — " No surrender ! " he in charge replied. 

Then " Storm the walls ! " the fierce assailant 

yelled. 
Though no defenders they within them held. 
On rushed the mob, and open Hew the gales. 
" Success upon the righteous ever waits ! " 
Exclaimed tiie envoy to the motley crowd 
As bolts, and bars, too fragile, snapped aloud. 
While not a hand was in resistance raised. 
The captives cried — " Huzzah ! and God be praised ! " 

Thus he began, by outrage, his career. 

Nor in his course, so reckless, paused he here. 

He next the dwelling of Columbus seized, 

And said — " With this a monarch might be pleased, 

So here will I, my servitors, reside 

Till on my future movements I decide : " 

And all within that house he made his own. 

Not arms, and jewels, gold, and plate alone, 

But secret papers, and whate'er he found — 

His insolence, and greed, without a bound. 

" All this," said he, " I confiscate to Spain, 

Yet so that none, with justice, can complain, 

I'll from it pay the debts Columbus owes. 

That these are great the island's record shows, 

For wages long have drifted in arrear." 

At this the crowd around him gave a cheer, 

So welcome were his words to ev'ry ear. 



158 THE SOA'G OF AMERICA AA'D COLUMBUS ; 

To gain the public favor was his aim, 

And overwhelm the Admiral with shame. 

"No more," said he, "Columbus here will reign, 

For I, in chains, will send him back to Spain, 

Nor he, nor yet his kin, will e'er regain 

The lands on which their deeds have cast a stain." 

He further favor sought by changing laws, 

And gladly heard the rabble's loud applause. 

" All ye," said he, " who wish to search for gold 

A friend in me, and champion behold! 

I sweep the burden of the tax away. 

A third no more, nor third of that, ye pay ; 

No more ye live beneath a tyrant's sway I " 

XIII. 

Columbus with surprise the tidings heard. 

And felt his breast with indignation stirred. 

" This must," said he, " some rash invader be — 

Some lawless desperado of the sea — 

Who seeks by intermeddling to alarm. 

And finds his profit in inflicting harm. 

He's seized the fort, and therefore holds the town, 

Proclaimed himself an envoy from the Crown, 

Amended laws, as if to favor gain. 

Declared, in chains, he'll send me back to Spain, 

Possessed himself of what I dearly prize, 

And boasted of his reckless enterprise! 

That such a man can represent the throne — 

That Spain her faithful servant so can stone — 

Surpasses, to my humble mind, belief, 

Else I should be a prey to sudden grief. 

The consciousness of all that I have done, 

Of all the glory I for Spain have won ; 

The approbation of both King and Queen — 

The signs of royal favor I have seen ; 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 159 

The rights conferred on me by hand and seal 
As Admiral, and Viceroy of Castile — 
All these convince me he's a buccaneer, 
And not an envoy on a mission here — 
A knave on outrage, and on plunder bent, 
And not a courtier by the sovereigns sent! 
But hence to San Domingo I will go : — 
No fear have I of this misguided foe ! " 

He, soon, the blooming Vega left behind. 
Revolving plans of vengeance in his mind. 
But ere he'd journeyed far upon his way 
Fresh tidings came that filled him with dis- 
may. 
A horseman — an alcalde — rode in view, 
And told him, in a word, that all was true. 
The envoy's letters from the Crown he bore, 
And on his breast his badge of office wore. 
" My master gave me these to bear to you," 
Said the alcalde' ; — " I return ; adieu ! " 
Columbus read, and sorely felt perplexed, 
And with Castile, and Aragon was vexed. 
The tide of slander long its course had run, 
And thus at length its evil work had done. 
" I feel uncertain what 'tis best to do — 
What line of conduct I should now pursue. 
But prudence bids me act a cautious part, 
And from the path of safety ne'er depart. 
Here I will tarry, and events await — 
Nor of my wrongs to Bobadilla prate, 
Nor yet his name for all he's done revile, 
But welcome him urbanely to the isle, 
Though I will caution in his course advise. 
And tell him I his changes deem unwise. 
Moreover these prerogatives are mine. 
All's void at law without my countersign. 



i6o THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

My rights in perpetuity I hold, 

With full control of all the mines of gold. 

Erelong I'll meet him, and all things explain, 

For 1 intend to shortly sail for Spain, 

And I will leave him then in full command. 

And in Castile my ancient rights demand!" 

Thus spoke Columbus ere he wrote his foe, 

Disposed to yield, nor strike a single blow, 

Believing time would rectify the wrong. 

Nor he would have to wait for justice long. 

The envoy deigned his welcome no reply. 

But sent instead, to watch him well, a spy, 

And summoned him to San Domingo town 

To render explanations to the Crown. 

A royal letter with the summons came, 

And this indeed Columbus felt was shame, 

For all he had it rudely swept away. 

And gave to Bobadilla boundless sway. 

No longer hesitation marked his course. 

He left behind whale'er betokened force. 

And nigh alone to San Domingo rode. 

" Don Diego's seized ! " he heard upon the road : 

"He lies in chains on board a caravel." 

Too true it proved, and sadder yet to tell, 

No sooner had Columbus reached the town 

Than in the fortress he was pinioned down. 

And left with fetters on his hands, and feet, 

Unconscious of the fate he yet might meet. 

Well Bobadilla knew his acts were base, 

And merited his ruin, and disgrace, 

And naught his evil record could efiface 

But — mark ! — conviction of the man he'd wronged 

For which he now with cruel ardor longed. 

He therefore gave to slanders ready ear. 

And in each case declared his guilt was clear, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. i6i 

And welcomed accusations, false, or true, 

Resolved that he Columbus would undo. 

Yet still he feared to meet Bartholomew, 

For soldier-like, and resolute was he — 

As dauntless as a corsair on the sea — 

And, with a roving army at command. 

He knew not what, in wrath, he might demand, 

So he required Columbus in his cell 

To write his brother, whom he loved so well, 

To leave his army, and in peace return. 

When further tidings of the cause he'd learn. 

The helpless captive with his wish complied, 

And begged his brother to control his pride. 

And bear indignity and wrong awhile, 

For Fortune yet in Spain again would smile : 

Redress would follow when the truth was known. 

And honors would be paid them from the throne. 

Bartholomew the Admiral obeyed. 

Nor on the way to join him he delayed. 

Alone he came, and in pacific guise, 

Yet like his brothers he — to his surprise — 

Was cast in prison, manacled, and chained. 

No explanations Bobadilla deigned. 

In durance lay the three, but each apart, 

In spirit brave, but sick indeed at heart. 

XIV. 

Columbus felt magnanimous, and bold. 
And left the wrongs he suffered all untold. 
A noble scorn his righteous bosom swelled. 
A knave in Bobadilla he beheld. 
Tyrannical, and arrogant, and weak, 
His own advantage ever prone to seek, 
And by a false ambition led astray — 
To evil passions willingly a prey. 



1 62 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

He would not stoop to deprecate his course, 

But yielded to the tyranny of force. 

He looked beyond its envoy to the Crown 

To re-establish his deserved renown, 

And by its will he'd either stand, or fall. 

No act he'd done which he would now recall. 

And of the sovereigns' favor he was sine 

If he could but the royal ear secure, 

For he had ever faithful been lo Spain, 

And added lustre to its monarchs' reign. 



XV. 

Men from the dungeon, and the gibbet, freed 

Hailed all that Bobadilla had decreed, 

And these in San Domingo swarmed the while- 

The scum of Spain, and terror of the isle. 

Castile had sent her felons to the West, 

And in her infant province bred a pest. 

A jubilee of villany prevailed. 

And ev'ry dastard tongue the Right assailed. 

Ease spirits that Columbus held in awe 

Now bade defiance to both him and law, 

And in revenge for discipline of yore 

Against his name malicious slanders swore. 

Vile pasquinades and libels they displayed, 

And called him tyrant, thief, and renegade. 

And with their taunts, exulting, filled the air. 

Columbus of his life was in despair, 

For from his cell he heard the rabble shout — 

" Pray let us in, or turn Columbus out ! " 

Hidalgos too, were openly his foes. 

And all against him, like the rebels, rose, 

For he inflicted outrage on their pride. 

And now the fallen magnate they defied, 

And, in revenge, his chronicle belied. 



OR THE SrORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 163 

The brothers, they for Roldan's riot blamed. 
"His blow," they ciied, '"at tyranny was aimed ! 
And Moxico deserved of Spaniards well 
When in a noble cause he, fighting, fell. 
Guevara would ere this have shared his fate — 
A victim of the fierce Italian's hate — 
Had not the Spanish envoy set him free ! 
Who in Columbus aught of good can see .-• 
To him alone the recent strife is due, 
And all opponents he in anger slew." 

A friend of Roldan Bobadilla made, 
And summoned all the rebels to his aid. 
And freely pardoned those who'd evil done, 
Thus persevering in the work begun. 
Whoe'er had to Columbus been a foe 
Found favor from this envoy base, and low. 
At length he cried — "The brothers stand con- 
demned ! 
They long the tide of indignation stemmed. 
But Justice, now, has brought them to a halt, 
And if in judging them I've shown a fault 
'Tis that I've leaned too much to Mercy's side. 
For deeds they've done the despots should have 

died! 
But as it is I'll send them back to Spain, 
Each by himself, weighed down with ball and 

chain. 
Conviction's certain, and I'll here remain 
To rule the isle, and wipe away its stain ! " 
A caravel was ready for the sea : 
The orders were to take on board the three, 
And Villejo, the officer in charge, 
Prepared to take the captives in his barge. 
Bartholomew, and Diego he conveyed, 
And these in cells within his vessel laid ; 



i64 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Then to the fortress led liis chosen guard, 
Where in a room, dark, dismal, bolted, barred. 
He found Columbus crouching on the floor — 
Made fast with fetters, jaded, galled, and sore — 
Who saw the guard approach him through the 

door, 
And feared, at last, that all for him was o'er. 
He saw the scaffold rise before his eyes. 
" 'Tis thus," he murmured, "justice man denies! 
With me the truth, and all I value dies ! 
Dishonored, and defamed I'm doomed to die. 
Nor will the world e'er know the reason wh}-. 
My reputation's blackened by a lie. 
And all I've done has ended in disgrace. 
How hard it is a death like this to face ! 
But I to my Redeemer pray for grace." 
Villejo roused him from this train of thought — 
He seemed abstracted, hopeless, and distraught — 
And then he asked in sad, and mournful strains — 
" Oh ! whither are you taking me in chains .'' " 
"On board the ship" — the cavalier replied : 
" We sail for Spain before another tide ! " 
Columbus said — " Behold me overjoyed I 
My heart again by cheering hope is buoyed ! 
But say one word, — Is what you tell me true, 
Or would you hide the future from my view? " 
" Upon my life the truth alone I tell ; 
I with you sail on board the caravel ! " 
" Thank God ! " exclaimed Columbus, " it is well ! " 
And from his trembling lips thanksgivings fell. 
Amid the hooting rabble he was led, 
To where the sea before his vision spread — 
Bound hand, and foot, as if a culprit vile. 
With curses in his ears he left the isle. 
And scoffs, and shouts, and loud derisive cheers, 
That moved him both to pity and to tears. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 165 

XVI. 

October winds for him were fresh, and fair, 

Smooth lay the sea, and bahny was the air.* 

On — homeward-bound — the captive's vessel sailed, 

But, though in fetters, ne'er Columbus quailed. 

With sanguine heart, and bold unflinching eye. 

He looked to Spain his acts to justify. 

The captain and Vallejo o'er him grieved, 

And he their words with gratitude received, 

But when, in kindness, they his chains would break, 

He cried — "No! though these limbs of mine may 

ache, 
I pray you from me ne'er these fetters take ! 
Spain said — 'To Bobadllla bow the knee ! ' 
He chained me ; Spain alone shall set me free — 
Alone shall strike these shackles from my hands. 
Behold me faithful to her stern commands! 
My duty is her mandates to obey. 
But hard it is of Wrong to be the prey. 
These manacles are my reward from Spain 
For twelve long years of hardship, peril, pain — 
For adding to her realm a vast domain. 
If I deserve them, let me wear them long : 
If not, they do me an atrocious wrong, 
But as sad relics of the bitter past 
I'll keep them by me long as life doth last ; 
And may they rust to ashes in my grave. 
And over all the drooping cypress wave ! " 
Thus he refused this offer of relief. 
And scarce betrayed to human eye his grief. 
" Ah ! " he soliloquized, " ungrateful Spain ! 
Is this on her escutcheon not a stain ? 

* Columbus, in fetters, left Hayti for Spain early in Octo- 
ber, 1500. 



1 66 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

How deep she's made me drink the cup of woe, 

And with how foul a blow she's struck me low ! 

Grown jealous of my promised wealth, and fame. 

She sought to rob me, and debase my name, 

And sent a tyrant to impugn my course. 

And then usurp the government by force. 

The work was done with unrelenting hate. 

Nor for my sentence had I long to wait. 

I, and my brothers were in bondage placed. 

While Bobadilla branded us disgraced, 

And, charged with crimes, thus sent us home in chains 

That he might hold the governmental reins. 

But I on Isabella, noble Queen, 

For justice, and redress, in spirit, lean : — 

And to the Virgin oft I humbly pray 

For restoration to my rightful sway ; 

And may the saints, and angels on me smile, 

And save from ruin Hayti's blooming isle ! 

May all the hosts of heaven unite to tell 

That I have served the Spanish sovereigns well, 

For to my faith my loyalty's akin. 

And aught disloyal is to me a sin ! " 

XVII. 

The caravel at Cadiz anchor cast. 

And all Castile with horror stood aghast ! 

The startling tidings flew from mouth to mouth. 

Spread West, and East, and travelled North, and 

South 
That Christopher Columbus lay in chains, 
And that the work of infamy was Spain's. 
A burst of indignation thrilled the realm, 
And seemed all other themes to overwhelm ! 
None paused to ask or ponder o'er the cause. 
Detraction changed, that moment, to applause. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 167 

Enough was it to know that it was he 

Who first had found the New World o'er the 

sea 
That now lay fettered in a caravel. 
The cruel deed its story told too well. 
The public mind reacted at a bound, 
And with fresh garlands men Columbus crowned. 
His fame shone brighter than it shone of yore, 
And love was lavished where 'twas ne'er before. 
His foes had planned his ruin, but had failed, 
And bitterly their conduct was assailed. 
Condemned was Bobadilla, far, and wide ; 
Fonseca, and the King were, too, decried 
For sending him such outrage to perform, 
While Isabella wept amid the storm. 

Astonishment was pictured in the Court 
When to Granada came the strange report, 
And through the old Alhambra's stately halls — 
Each one of which a story still recalls — 
Ran murmurs both of sorrow and surprise, 
While more than words was uttered by the eyes. 
With all their pomp, the King, and Queen were 

there. 
And strove the grievous error to repair. 
Denouncing Bobadilla's course as vile 
In sending, thus, Columbus from the isle. 
Although the King was secretly his foe 
He disavowed the base and crushing blow, 
And joined with Isabella in his praise. 
Declaring he deserved unfading bays. 
'• Set free Columbus, and his brothers two. 
And honor them according to their due, 
For they deserve distinction in the land ! " 
The sovereigns sent to Cadiz this command, 
And with it went, in Isabella's hand. 



1 68 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

A letter full of gratitude and grief, 
Addressed, in kindness, to the captive chief, 
Inviting him to Court, and that with speed. 
Two thousand ducats, too — a trifling meed — 
Were sent to raise him from the slough of need. 
This made Columbus glad indeed at heart. 
No more he of his fetters felt the smart, 
But, conscious of integrity, and truth, 
He felt return the ardor of his youth, 
And saw his rights, and dignities restored — 
Yea, all that Bobadilla had ignored — 
And, too, a future brighter than the past, 
That led him on to paradise at last. 

He at Granada reached the Court in state, 
His retinue becoming one so great. 
And richly but not gaudily attired. 
And by the hope of restitution fired, — 
No more a captive ruined, and undone, 
But as a hero who a world had won. 
With favcH', and distinction, he was met. 
The sovereigns uttered welcome, and regret, 
And all he'd lost they promised to restore, 
And vowed by them he'd suffer wrong no more. 
His grievances they'd quickly see redressed, 
And naught but indignation they expressed 
For Bobadilla — one so black at heart 
As to have played so foully false a part. 
Unnoticed all his charges would remain. 
And him — dismissed — they'd order back to Spain. 
The Qneen a sister's tenderness revealed : — 
Her grief, and tears alike were unconcealed 
As she, in thought, on all he'd suffered dwelt. 
Columbus, weeping too, before her knelt, 
For such emotion touched him to the core. 
And feelings long suppressed at length ran o'er. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 169 

He sobbing, child-like, bent his silvered head, 

And niiiuites passed while not a word was 

said. 
Rude conflict, he had long, and firmly, borne, 
But like a woman he could feel, and mourn. 
The King, and Queen, then raised him from the 

floor, 
And promised him their friendship evermore. 
Then when his self-possession had returned 
They from his lips his artless story learned. 
In simple language he described his woes, 
And answered all the charges of his foes, 
Demanding justice — yea, his rightful due, 
His manner modest, while his speech was true. 
His loyalty he vindicated well, 
And of his zeal for Spain he'd much to tell, 
And if he'd erred, or proved himself unwise 
'Twas through the perils of his enterprise. 
Howe'er no vindication needed he. 
His fetters from his foes had set him free, 
'Twas left for Spain to vindicate her name 
From this ingratitude, and crying shame. 

xvni. 

A high ambition moved the hero's breast. 
He longed for glory with unfailing zest; 
And dignity, and honor and renown. 
Of all his aspirations formed the crown. 
He yearned for restoration to his place, 
P'or that alone could all his wrongs eiiface. 
And turn to triumph what had been disgrace. 
But long he waited for this promised boon, 
Expecting daily it would reach him soon. 
Yet still it came not, and at length 'twas known 
That Don Ovando — chosen by the throne — 



I70 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Would crafty Bobadilla supersede, 
And this Castile, and Aragon decreed.* 



XIX. 

Columbus uttered murmurs deep, and loud, 

And felt his fame was still beneath a cloud 

When Spain could send Ovando in his stead. 

Humiliation bowed the hero's head. 

'Twas harsh injustice. What could worse have been ? 

He laid his case before the King, and Queen, 

Who promised to restore him to command 

When order reigned again in Hayti's land. 

Two years would rule Ovando in the isle. 

And stormy passions there be calmed the while, 

33ut should Columbus sooner there return 

'Twould fan a flame that might for ever burn. 

Confusion, and commotion, would prevail, 

And warlike factions might his life assail. 

So argued with the Admiral the Crown, 

Yet owned him worthy of his great renown. 

The Queen to this designed to truly hold. 

Restoring all his titles, rank, and gold. 

But Ferdinand resolved that he no more 

Should be a ruler where he ruled before, 

* Columbus exhibited so many charges against Bobadilla, 
at the same time demanding redress for the injury which he 
had done him, that Ferdinand and Isabella resolved to recall 
him at once from Hispaniola, but instead of allowing Colum- 
bus to return as viceroy they sent Nicholas De Ovando, one of 
the enemies of the great discoverer, as governor in his stead. 
He sailed on P'ebruary 13,1502, with thirty ships in which 
twenty-five hundred persons had embarked with the intention 
of settling in the New World. This was the largest expedi- 
tion yet fitted out for the purpose. On Ovando's arrival Boba- 
dilla was ordered to return to Spain to answer for his conduct. 
He never reached there, as the ship in which he sailed was lost, 
together with twenty-three others out of a fleet of twenty-eight. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 171 

For all to which his labors paved the way 

Now open to the enterprising lay, 

And sons of Spain might find some new Cathay. 

What more could he — Columbus — do than they 

Who asked no titles, nor expected pay, 

And rendered tribute as the Crown decreed? 

The King deplored he e'er had signed the 

deed 
Which gave away so truly vast a meed, 
And to a lowly foreigner in need, 
And each discov'ry by Columbus made — 
That larger swelled the guerdon to be paid — 
Had raised his anger, while it fed his pride. 
Columbus he, in secret, oft decried — 
The hero who had done so much for Spain — 
And strove to leave him dispossessed of gain — 
To wrest away the great explorer's due, 
Nor meaning wrong so foul to e'er undo. 
'Twas now the opportunity arose 
His selfish aim to openly disclose. 
But chastened by calamity, and woe, 
Columbus bowed submissive to the blow, 
Resolved with Christian patience to await 
The hidden future, ready for his fate : — 
Not hopeless but still sanguine of redress, 
Nor emulous of winning fame the less. 
Of restitution ne'er would he despair. 
And with misfortune like a hero bear. 

XX. 

Columbus in Granada lingered still 
Resigned, in meekness, to the Sovereigns' will. 
" I have," said he, " a promise to fulfil — 
A mission of which mortal may be proud ; 
To wrest the Holy Sepulchre I've vowed. 



172 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Jerusalem is waiting for the blow, 

Which yet will lay the unbelievers low, 

And long have I an impulse felt, divine, 

Which tells me that the holy task is mine. 

But poor am I — ah, poor indeed — in purse, 

Or I, alone, would sweep away the curse. 

I then to ye, your Majesties, appeal 

To send crusaders thither from Castile, 

And I will lead them to that happy goal, 

Which is the aspiration of my soul." 

Thus, in his zeal, the monarchs he addressed, 

While Christian fervor filled his sanguine breast, 

But, less chivalrous, they declined to fight. 

" Not always," said the King, " is war delight ; 

Let God, in Egypt, still defend the Right ! " * 

Once more Columbus toward the ocean turned, 

And future triumphs on its face discerned. 

XXI. 

Ere this — six years, or more f — the Crown of Spain 

Free license gave to all to range the main 

To seek, and conquer, countries yet unknown 

If they but rendered tribute to the throne. 

The path Columbus opened they pursued, 

And, in imagination, wonders viewed. 

New worlds were ever bursting on their gaze. 

And boundless wealth would bless their later days. 

Hope led them on to deeds of enterprise. 

And held a glitt'ring bait before their eyes, 

* Soon afterwards the King sent Peter Martyr to the Grand 
Soldan of Egypt, and made a pacific arrangement with him for 
tlie conservation of tlie Holy Sepulchre, whose destruction he 
had menaced, and the protection of Christian pilgrims resort- 
ing to it. 

t In 1495. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 173 

For those were times when Fancy nations swayed, 

And signs, and portents were, in awe, obeyed. 

By cloister dreams the court, and camp, were 

ruled. 
And Christendom in bigotry was schooled, 
Ojedo, Nino, Pinzon* sailed away, 
Each eager to discover rich Cathay. 
All erst had with Columbus ploughed the deep, 
And they aspired an equal fame to reap. 
Bastides followed in their wake, and Lepe, f 
And Spain gave welcome to their bold emprise. 
On this Columbus looked with jealous eyes. 
But ev'ry voyage widened Spain's domain, 
And further swelled her aggregate of gain ; 
And thus the King reflected it was vain 
To yield to him — Columbus — such a share 
When others offered all the brunt to bear. 
The Cabots, too, from England sailed the while, 
And on their prowess Fortune shed a smile, 
For they were first the continent to view, % 
And like a gourd their reputation grew. 
Fresh honors, too, by Portugal were won. 
And proud was she of what her sons had done. 
De Gama — Vasco — rose to sudden fame, 
For he from Hindostan to Europe came 
Around the Stormy Cape § — a highway new. 
Which he was first to plough, and bring to view, 



* Alonzo de Ojedo, Pedro Alonzo Nino, and Vicente Yanez 
Pinzon. 

t Rodiigo Bastides, and Diego Lepe. 

X John Cabot, and his son Sebastian, sailed from Bristol in 
1497, in the hope of finding a northwest passage to India. 
They discovered Newfoundland, and coasted Labrador, and 
then on their return sailed southwest to Florida, thus discov- 
ering the continent of America about a year before Columbus. 

§ Vasco De Gama doubled the Cape of Good Hope in 1497, 



174 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Though long ere this Prince Henry marked the 

way : 
" By this, " said he, " we'll voyage to Cathay ! " 
Then Cabral, sailing in his Eastern track, 
Brought Oriental treasures with him back. 
Spain saw, with jealous eye the Portuguese 
Fresh glory gaining, thus, upon the seas, 
And fanned the flame of ocean enterprise. 
He only wins who struggles for the prize. 
Columbus stirred to emulation cried — 
" Let me again adventure far and wide 
Out on the western ocean's restless tide. 
And find the strait that links the foaming seas. 
Then drink the cup of Knowledge to the lees." 
Fresh ocean service from the Crown he craved, 
And pointed to the perils he had braved.* 
" I ask," said he, " a fleet of only four. 
The world that I discovered to explore. 
And through it find a passage to the East. 
Erelong I mean in Calicut to feast, 
And dim the glory of the Portuguese 
By grand achievements on the distant seas ! " 

thus accomplishing the design of the late Prince Henry of 
Portugal. 

* Columbus having been acquitted at the court of Spain with 
the promise of restitution and reward, was anxious to again en- 
gage in discoveries. His ambition was to find a western ])as- 
sage to the East Indies, and at his request Spain equipped for 
him four vessels with vvhicli he sailed on May ii, 1^02. One 
hundred and fifty ]ieisons were on board, among whom were 
his brother Bartholomew and his son Ferdinand, the writer of 
his life. In twenty-one days after his dejiarture from Cadiz, 
on this his fourth and last voyage, he arrived at Dominica, and 
five days afterwards at Hispaniola, (where he was denied ad- 
mission to the harbor of San Domingo) from which he sailed 
to the Continent and discovered the Bay of Honduras, 
(August 14, 1502), and subsequently the Isthmus of Darien, 
where he vainly hoped to find a passage to the East. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 175 

The King replied — " Your project we approve. 
Go forth, and opportunity improve ! " 
While Isabella uttered words of cheer, 
And of the future bade him banish fear. 



XXII. 

O'er all the West to rule with sovereign sway — 
With thirty ships — Ovando sailed away,* 
And five, and twenty hundred souls on board, 
Some prone to peace, and some to wield the sword. 
A fleet so large had ne'er before been manned. 
And o'er it all he held supreme command. 
On all his princely pomp Columbus gazed. 
And felt as one who hears his rival praised. 
" Grand is his launch," said he, "upon the sea, 
But all his honors have been filched from me ! " 



PART VII. 

The Fourth and Last Voyage of Columbus — 
Shipwreck. 

I. 

FoNSECA planned to thwart the royal will, 
And wreaked his spite upon Columbus still, 
Nor strove his paltry malice to conceal. 
No meaner spirit lorded in Castile ; 

* Five of the vessels were from ninety to a liundred and 
fifty tons burden ; and twenty-four from thirty to ninety, while 
one was a bark of twenty-five tons. The fleet sailed on the 
13th of February, 1502, and arrived at the port of San Do- 
mingo on the 15th of April. 



176 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS, 

No greater foe had Progress in the realm, 
And all he loathed he tried to overwhelm. 
Columbus, Cortez, and a host beside, 
Persistently he, wantonly, decried : 
And yet he swayed the Indies long in Spain, 
Inflicting on her heroes needless pain. 
Fonseca's name is blackened with the stain. 
But in the end Columbus manned his fleet, 
Unbaffled by vexations, and deceit, 
And, by his bold ambition holly fired. 
He sailed to seek what he'd so long desired. 
The shores of Cadiz vanished from his view 
As swiftly on their way his vessels flew.* 
" Adieu to Spain," he cried, " a long adieu ! 
I leave the Old to greet anew the New, 
And may Jehovah smile on all I do. 
And keep me to my vows for ever true. 
Adieu the Eastern Continent, adieu ! " 

II. 

Full six and sixty winters blanched his hair, 
While on his brow were written lines of care, 
As on this lengthy voyage he repaired — 
The fourth and last in which he ever shared — 
To court again, in danger, fresh renown. 
And gild with greater glory still the Crown. 
Small were his barks to such achievements win, 
But he before as small had voyaged in — 
One fifty tons, and three a trifle more ; 
Such venture, now, but seldom far from shore. 



*He sailed from Cadiz on the 9th of May, 1502, and an- 
chored at Ercilla on the coast of Morocco on the 13th, and at 
Grand Canary on the 25th, which he left on the evening of that 
day for the New World. 



on THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 177 

With him his son Fernando gladly sailed, 

And — young and ardent — all before him hailed ; — 

His brother, too, Bartholomew, the brave, 

Who counsel wise, and love fraternal gave. 

Proud sharers in the glory he had won. 

They deemed his grand career but just begun. 

Along Morocco's coast he steered awhile. 

And anchored next at Grand Canary isle, 

Then on before a fresh propitious breeze 

His squadron danced on undulating seas. 

And twenty days from land, lo ! land again 

In tropic beauty, burst upon his ken.* 

There, like a garden, Mantinino bloomed. 

Whose odors sweet the summer wind perfumed. 

The guava, scarlet plum, and mandarin ; 

The citron with its wealth of gold and green ; 

The sappadilla, tempting to the eye. 

Whose branches hung above the jujube high. 

With other fruits, there blushed beneath the sky. 

The mulberry and mammee, deep in shade, 

Their tempting riches to the sight displayed; 

The almond and the papaw, here and there. 

Were pendant in the bland and sunny air. 

While pears and apples bent their parent boughs. 

All thanked the Lord for guiding hence their 

prows ! 
Three days his crews, enraptured, lingered here : — 
There seemed to Ihem enchantment in the sphere, 
And lovely Hebe's added to their bliss. 
" Oh ! what " — said they — " a paradise is this ! " 
For boundless hospitality prevailed. 
And well were they, where'er they went, regaled. 



* It was probably the island of Martinica, the native name 
of which was Mantinino. This was seen on June 15, 1502. 



178 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

The savage lords and ladies of the isle 

Gave all they had, and blessed it with a smile, 

O'er these, their guests, in wonder lost the while. 

Another isle ten leagues, due west, away 

Erelong before the sailing squadron lay. 

With royal palms aspiring to the sky, 

And snow-white herons o'er it soaring high. 

" Dominica, how lovely to the eye ! " 

Exclaimed Columbus — " Hither I would fly ! " 

Rich Santa Cruz erelong revealed its form, 

Half-shrouded by a tropic thunder-storm ; 

But soon, once more, the sky was all serene. 

And Santa Cruz was like a fairy scene. 

In all its primal splendor it arose. 

Magnificence, and beauty, to disclose. 

Upon the sandy shore the sea-grapes grew, 

Washed by the waves, like malachite in hue, 

Though in the distance brightly, deeply blue. 

The sea and sky seemed blended in their dye, 

And where they met uncertain was the eye. 

Touched by the gold-leaf of the shining sun, 

The pink shells lay, by weeds half overrun — 

Shells varied, and fantastic, in their form, 

Dashed by the spray, and shaken by the storm. 

The air-plant flourished on the rocks, and threw 

Its long and leafy branches to the view. 

The red-light of the coral-flower shone, 

Bright as a signal, standing out alone. 

With cactus huge, and stiff, the hills were crowned, 

And in the distance cypress giants frowned. 

The bluish green of the gigantic pines 

Contrasted with the colors of the vines. 

The locust hung its tassels in the air, 

And green, majestic palms waved, grandly, there. 

White-stemmed, and standing singly, or in groups. 

While climbing monkeys swarm'd the trees in troops. 



O/^ THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 179 

The peta's stately candelabra glowed 

With yellow flame, and spreading mangoes show^ed 

The orange, and the purple of their buds. 

While sunset bathed them in its rainbow floods. 

Gay parrots, and macaws, in concert, screamed, 

And red flamingoes through the forest gleamed, 

While with bananas, hill and valley teemed. 

Pink, white, and scarlet oleanders blushed, 

And roses, white, with crimson hues were flushed. 

Bright-blooming creepers, waving from the trees. 

The sun saluted, and the balmy breeze 

Played gently with the branches, high and low, 

And with the blooming undergrowth below. 

Locked in the gaudy parasite's embrace — 

An object picturesque, and full of grace — 

The almond-tree was strangled in its prime : 

Thus Nature preyed on Nature all the time ; 

Decay, and reproduction, side by side, 

Went on for ever, in unbroken tide. 

In such a clime existence seemed delight, 

For all around was beautiful, and bright. 

The silver crescent moon gave vivid light, 

But when 'twas full with lustre shone the night — 

With brightness ne'er in northern climates seen — 

While ever charming was the changing scene. 

Then on to Porto Rico sailed the fleet. 
Once more a paradise as sweet to greet. 
A lovely sight it blossomed on the view, 
And palms again before the vision grew. 



III. 

Columbus found his vessel crank, and slow, 
And said — " To San Domingo I will go, 



I So THE SONG OF AMERfCA AND COLUMBUS , 

And there, in barter, ask a swifter craft, 
For this drags onward slowly like a raft, 
And brings delay, and danger, to the fleet. 
To persevere is but to court defeat. 
Yet I forbidden fruit in Hayti see. 
I'm free to range where'er I will the sea. 
But on this outward voyage 'tis decreed — 
And I the sovereigns' warning words would heed- 
That I am not to anchor near the isle, 
Though I may there — returning — rest awhile. 
Still I believe that I shall pass unblamed 
When I the cause for sailing there have named, 
And that Ovando aid will not refuse. 
Else I predict disaster on the cruise ! " 
Bartholomew — his brother — said — " 'Tis well ; 
We sadly need another caravel," 
And on the barks to San Domingo sailed, 
Where beauty still admiring eyes regaled. 
Ten weeks before Ovando reached the shore, 
And Bobadilla found his reign was o'er. 
While he was courted, and caressed no more. 
The Roldan rebels, one, and all, were tried — 
All those who had Columbus once defied — 
And — held in bondage — ordered back to Spain, 
Unfit to longer in the isle remain. 
Ovando's fleet would soon, returning, sail 
To carry back the troubled island's tale. 
And Bobadilla, and the rebel horde, — 
Who law, and order had alike ignored, — 
And all the gold belonging to the Crown, 
And Gwaronex, the chief of great renown. 

IV. 

Columbus reached the island from the South, 
And, in the shelter of the river's mouth. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. iSi 

He sent a captain of the fleet ashore 

Ovando's aid, and favor, to implore, 

And of a tempest near to warn him, too. 

" This," he replied, " is more than I can do. 

No ship, or shelter, I can, now, bestow. 

Columbus ere the night must seaward go. 

No sign of storm as yet arrests the eye : 

The wind is soft, and azure is the sky, 

And, bound for Spain, the fleet will sail to-day. 

Disaster oft attends upon delay." 

Ovando's answer gave Columbus pain, 

But true was he, as e'er before, to Spain, 

And sent again his warning to repeat, 

And beg him to retain the Spanish fleet, 

Yet all in vain : The pilots said — " 'Tis fair. 

And we for such predictions little care," 

And so they scoffed, and steered their barks to 

sea. 
No brooding tempest o'er them they could see. 
No longer there Columbus, now, delayed, 
But, sorely grieved — Ovando's wish obeyed, 
And sailed to seek some spot along the shore, 
Where he might anchor till the storm was o'er. 
He heard the murmurs of his angry crews. 
Who cried — " An evil fate our fleet pursues ; 
Columbus for protection vainly sues, 
Who else would Don Ovando dare refuse ? 
Denied the land — in peril on the deep, 
But evil in the future we can reap." 
A day went by, and baleful grew the sky ; 
Wild looked the ocean, and the wind was high. 
Columbus knew the hurricane was nigh, 
And heard, erelong, its mighty, swelling roar. 
It burst in fury, eastward, from the shore, 
And fiercely lashed the ocean into foam, 
While all above, and all around was gloam — 



i82 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

As terrible, and turbulent, as grand. 

The vessels sailed, for shelter, near the land, 

But wilder raged the tempest in the night, 

And each was to the other lost to sight. 

While all on board were fearful of their fate, 

And ev'ry moment seemed for death to wait. 

Yox days, and nights, this awful storm prevailed, 

But through it all the squadron safely sailed. 

And reached at last, though crippled, rent, and 

torn, 
A tranquil haven, and a welcome bourn, * 
Where all in deep devotion, kneeling, prayed. 
And uttered thanks for providential aid. 
"For us," said they, "a miracle was wrought : 
We, such a storm, could ne'er alone have fought." 
How fared Ovando's home-returning fleet. 
Which, ere the storm, was seaward seen to beat .'' 
The tidings of disaster quickly flew. 
And soon the story, sad, Columbus knew. 
Of all the ships there now remained but few^, 
And these so wracked they scarce could port 

regain. 
But one pursued its onward course to Spain. 
This held the hero's share of golden ore. 
While all beside were lost that treasure bore. 
And Bobadilla sank to rise no more. 
And, like him, Roldan found a wat'ry grave ; 
And with them perished Gwaronex, the brave, 
Who ruled the Vega in the days of old. 
And guarded, like a shepherd, all his fold. 
Chained to a caravel he bravely died. 
And welcome gave to the devouring tide, 
Unbroken to the last his stubborn pride. 
Let none such Spartan courage e'er deride, 

* Port Hermosa, west of San Domingo. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 183 

For Gwaronex all but his gods defied, 

And o'er the sorrows of his people sighed, 

Whose blood, in floods, his native vale had dyed— 

Where massacre ran riot, far, and wide, 

While vainly they for peace, and mercy, cried — 

Imploring help their feeble steps to guide, 

When to escape their cruel foe, they tried. 

But from whose sword, and vengeance, none could 

hide. 
Why wonder few could long on earth abide 
When all they craved, and needed, was denied ? 

" I see the hand of Retribution here," 
Columbus spoke,—" but I could shed a tear 
O'er all this awful record,"— and he sighed— 
" I would not thus my enemies had died." 
To him it seemed a punishment condign — 
A judgment in its origin divine, 
Though innocent, and guilty — sad to say — 
Alike" became the raging ocean's prey. 



V. 

Again Columbus ventured out to sea : 
Again a storm for refuge made him flee, 
But soon, once more, the ocean tranquil lay, 
And sparkling in the splendors of the day. 
All grand, and gay, and bright, and fair, appeared 
As he his barks toward Terra Firma steered. 
On past Jamaica, on his course he kept, 
And through the islet group— The Gardens— swept, 
' Then, in its beauty, saw the Isle of Pines, 
Where luscious grapes adorned festooning vines, 
And palms diversified the sylvan scene — 
A prospect lovely in its vivid green. 



i84 TFIE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 



YI. 

Columbus with his squadron led the way, 
And sailed the waters of Honduras bay ; 
And here among the isles that skirt the shore, 
Where pelicans, and herons, dive and soar, 
A huge canoe approached his vessel's side. 
It swarmed with natives, clothed, and wonder- 
eyed. 
And in their midst was seated the cazique, 
Who — o'er his wives and children — rose to speak 
In language strange, but hospitable guise 
Expressive of his welcome, and surprise. 
In length a galley, like a schooner wide — 
Eight feet, or more, its span from side to side — 
Hewn from a single tree — the forest's pride — 
This craft — gondola-like — the waters rode, 
And in its centre rose the chief's abode, 
With palm leaves thatched from sun, and rain, to 

screen. 
And leave him by the outer world unseen. 
'Twas laden with the products of his land, 
And implements, and weapons, wrought by hand. 
P'rom Yucatan perchance he found his way. 
For distant westward forty leagues it lay — 
A region to explorers y#t unknown. 
And to the West they called the land their own. 
And spoke its praise, and prayed him there to 

steer. 
And reap the riches scattered far and near. 
Had he but followed this propitious clue. 
Till sunny Yucatan adorned the view. 
The fame of Mexico, and old Peru, 
Would soon have reached him, and an ocean 
new — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 185 

The vast Pacific — met his searching gaze, 
And crowned, with glory his declining days. 
But lo ! he to the eastward saw the strait. 
Which to Cathay would prove the golden gate, 
And by his hopes, and fond delusions, led, 
He blindly from barbaric empires sped. 

VII. 

'Twas now the rainy season of the year. 

And much from tropic storms had he to fear, 

With all his caravels unfit to sail 

Amid the fury of a squall, or gale ; 

But tempest after tempest o'er him broke. 

And angry crashing thunder loudly spoke. 

And lurid lightning flashed along the sky — 

While ocean raged, and winds were whistling 

high — 
Yet still his crazy barks their course pursued, 
And daily he his hopes and prayers renewed. 
But sixty leagues in forty days he sailed, 
And all on board their hapless fate bewailed. 
At length auspicious winds began to blow, 
And lighter grew the burden of his woe. 
He left Honduras stretching far behind. 
Thrice eager the imagined strait to find, 
Then swept along the steep Mosquito shore, 
Which, here and there, a rugged aspect wore. 
And reached a stream that he Disaster named, 
For there a cruel shaft by Death was aimed. 
A boat was lost and with it all her crew. 
And this their comrades lived to sadly rue, 
While deeper grew dejection through the fleet. 
They seemed misfortunes ev'rywhere to meet. 
On eastward still — with land in sight — he steered. 
From cape to cape his plunging barks careered — 



i86 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Past mountain scenes, and green inviting vales, 

And o'er an ocean ruffled, still, by gales. 

At length between an island, and the shore 

He anchor cast, and landed to explore. 

The cocoa-nut and palm were waving there ; 

Ananas shed perfume upon the air ; 

In clusters, rich, the green bananas grew. 

And to the winds its arms the mammee threw. 

A banquet, sweet, the Cherimoya spread, 

And golden maize presented Nature's bread. 

The groves were rich in spices, and in bloom, 

And parrots served their shadows to illume. 

On-ir-ib-ir-i the Indians called their isle, 

And there Columbus tarried for awhile. 

And then at Car-i-ar-i, on the coast, 

He interviewed a friendly native host. 

In tunics, and in mantles, they were garbed. 

And armed with lances, clubs, and arrows barbed. 

These proffered willing maidens to their guests. 

And signified they'd honor their behests. 

He gave them gifts, but naught would take in turn, 

Which piqued their pride, and led them these to 

spurn. 
And when, with pen and ink, he sought to write 
The fancied spell impelled them all to flight. 
They burned, and scattered, powder as they went, 
Which through the air diffused a fragrant scent. 
Thus they were disenchanted by a charm. 
Which kindled in the sailors strange alarm. 
They deemed it magic meant to work them harm, 
And said their ills to Indian arts were due. 
Suspicions took a superstitious hue. 
For dyed with superstition was their age, 
And hard 'twas such delusions to assuage. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 187 



VIII. 

Where Costa Rica — rich in treasure — lay, 
With native guides, the ships pursued their way, 
And reached, erelong, a broad majestic bay. 
All studded o'er with islets brightly green, 
With ocean channels, like canals, between — 
A picturesque, and variegated scene. 
Car-ib-ar-o was beautiful to view, 
And palms, and cedars, shadows o'er it threw, 
And mangroves flourished 'twixt the sea and 

land. 
While roses blossomed on each pebbly strand, 
And limes, and pomegranates, bore their fruit, 
And the batata hid its welcome root. 
There, too, tabaka spread its siren leaf. 
And whispered to the weary kind relief, 
But fleeting pleasures pave the way to grief. 
The joys that linger are the gifts divine. 
True solace lies in neither weed nor wine. 
Its graceful pods the green ca-ca-o hung,* 
Some deemed to keep the heart for ever young, 
And gaudy birds among the ceibas sung. 
Canoes were paddled quickly to and fro. 
Or, stranded, lay beyond the tidal flow. 
From swarthy necks depended plates of gold, 
And ornaments diversified in mould. 
While quills, and claws, in coronets appeared. 
Which gave an aspect, to the wearers, weird. 
But other brows were garlanded with bloom 
That faintly breathed an exquisite perfume. 
The natives, of a region rich in gold 
The Spaniards — ever avaricious — told, 

* The chocolate tree. Pronounce Ka-ka-o. 



i88 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

But still refused to barter what they wore, 
And pointed eastward far along the shore. 
Columbus, on his wa}', discouraged gain. 
"Let here," said he, "the gold awhile remain. 
The country owns submission but to Spain, 
And we can gather when our work is done. 
A splendid triumph we shall soon have won. 
And Calicut its grandeur will display, 
While through the Ganges we shall keel our way, 
And all the wealth of Mangi, and Cathay, 
Will rise before us in a grand array." 
But few, his views, and expectations shared. 
For he was sanguine when his crews despaired. 
"Behold !" said they, "we court an evil fate 
In seeking thus a non-existent strait ! " 



IX. 

The bay of islands faded from his view 

As eastward, with the wind, his vessels flew. 

Twelve leagues away a river joined the sea, 

Where — on the shore — the natives he could see. 

Well armed were they, and with their bodies bare. 

And these their weapons brandished in the air — 

Swords made of palms, and clubs, and lances, long — 

As if determined to avenge a wrong. 

And rushing in the ocean, to the vi^aist, 

With fury the invading vessels faced. 

While battle sounds from wooden drums, and shells, 

Were heard resounding through the hills, and dells. 

But signs pacific angry passions lulled, 

And to the beach the Spanish boats were pulled, 

Where brass for gold, in barter, freely passed ; 

But peace, and friendship, there were not to last. 

For on the morrow they, in arms, arose. 

And treated the invaders as their foes. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 189 

Then sailed the ships — still eastward — down the 

coast, 
And met, erelong, another warlike host, 
Who warned them, by their gestures, from the land, 
But, soon, the squadron's boats were on the strand. 
And peaceful signs their anger turned away. 
Ca-ti-ba river where they gathered lay. 
And architecture, solid, marked the scene — 
The first that in the New World e'er was seen.* 
Though none were prone their nakedness to hide. 
Yet some were decked with plates of shining gold, 
And these for baubles to their guests they sold. 
Of mines of gold they, like their neighbors, told. 
And pointing eastward — " Veragwa ! " they cried. 
There lay the wealth for which the wand'rers sighed, 
And past it, soon, they saw their vessels glide. 
And gladly would have tarried on the way. 
But he — Columbus — eager for Cathay, 
Pressed toward the goal, impatient of delay. 
For all its gold, compared with that, was dross. 
Through Oriental lands he'd plant the Cross, 
And reap unbounded riches, and renown. 
While adding to the glory of the Crown ! 
A grand ambition urged him on his course — 
Grand, though imagination was its source ; 
And near to fact his soaring fancy flew, 
For where he dreamed the strait would meet his view, 
A strait, herself, had Nature tried to hew. 
But, disappointed, left a neck of land — 
A narrow link, uniting strand to strand — 
Through which embracing oceans yet will flow. 
And freighted vessels voyage to and fro ! 
That isthmus, now, before his vision rose — 
A scene of tropic beauty and repose 

* This was a large mass of stucco, built of stone and lime. 



190 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

With groves of palms, and fruit-producing trees, 
And tow'ring hills, and mountains over these, 
And waving fields of ripe and golden maize — • 
All grandly lighted by Apollo's rays, 
While bloom, and verdure, far and wide, were seen- 
A splendid prospect of refreshing green : 
And here a haven, broad, sequestered, deep — 
Whose dark, and waveless waters seemed to sleep- 
Invited him to rest upon its breast, 
And be alone by balmy airs caressed. 
He anchored there, and all around him blessed, 
And, in his sense of safety, and delight — 
For all he saw was welcome to the sight — 
He named it Porto Belle ere the night. 
The natives gathered round him in canoes, 
And left him free, whate'er he would, to choose — 
The blushing fruits, and dainties of the clime — 
The tamarind, anana, date, and lime, 
The cocoa-nut, and product of the vine, 
And calabashes full of native wine ; 
The guava, the banana, and the maize — 
For all of which, and more, he uttered praise. 
But gold — alas ! — had vanished from the scene. 
The tall, athletic Indians — supple, lean — 
No more with plates of polished gold were seen. 
The chiefs alone displayed the precious ore. 
And from their nostrils — hanging — this they wore. 
Their bodies naked, and bedizened red. 
And each with flaming feathers on his head. 
Save one — the great cazique — of ebon hue. 
Who wore a fragrant crown of blossoms, blue. 

X. 

A week of stormy weather kept him there. 
And then he sailed, when all again was fair. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 191 

But he of storms, erelong, became the sport, 

And flew for refuge to an open port, 

Where all his wants the fruitful earth supplied, 

And naught to Man by Nature was denied. 

Here he, with speed, his leaking ships repaired, 

For roughly on the ocean they had fared 

And through their hulls the busy worms had bored 

Till like a riddle seemed each outer board. 

This done, his ships were eastward steered again, 

But discontent prevailed among his men, _ 

And gloom that seemed to verge upon despair, 

While even he began their doubts to share. 

XL 

A naked host the sailing squadron hailed, 
Who all on board with luscious fruits regaled, 
And pressed their guests to linger on the shore. 
And bartered all the ornaments they wore; 
But Gee-ga soon receded from the view. 
Then adverse winds again with fury blew 
And so, once more, for shelter sailed the fleet. 
And from the tempest found a safe retreat— 
(So small, Columbus called it EI Reirdc) 
By whose deep waters alligators lay. 
Like vultures, ever ready for their prey. 
The natives tall, and graceful in their build, 
And in the use of bows, and arrows skilled, 
And armed with clubs, and lances made of wood- 
With friendly signs, before the strangers stood, 
And to these wand'rers from a distant strand 
They proffered the abundance of the land ; 
But bv deforces their friendship took its flight. 
For homes were ravaged on the shore by night, 
And by the sailors deeds of blood were done. 
The savage sought the Christian horde to shun. 



192 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And threatened to destroy the caravels, 

Awaking echoes, with defiant yells, 

While day by day the warlike numbers swelled. 

With keen regret Columbus this beheld. 

For he had prized the natives as his friends, 

And tried in vain to thwart ignoble ends, 

But, in defence, he made the cannon roar, 

When — with the herbage round them dyed with 

gore— 
They fled the scene to battle there no more. 

XII. . 

Northeast, and east, still winds, opposing, blew, 
And through the ships the murmurs louder grew. 
" Some hostile spell's at work " — the seamen 

cried, 
"And long enough its warnings we've defied. 
'Tis tempting Evil east to further sail. 
Nine days in port, and still it blows a gale — 
An eastern gale — as if to warn us more 
No further east to steer along the shore. 
Our leaking ships are all unfit for sea. 
And Famine, in the distance, we can see, 
For though the trees are lavish of their fruits, 
And earth itself is bountiful of roots. 
And birds display their plumage in the air, 
And ocean doth its harvest ever bear — 
These scarce — alone — our constant needs supply. 
Sail further east, and we as surely die ! " 
Columbus heard the protest of his crews, 
And owned that there was reason in their views. 
And, to appease their clamor, and their fear, 
Resolved no more his eastward course to steer, 
But to return, and search for mines of gold 
In Veragway of which the natives told. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 193 

Thus far, ere this, had — west — Bastides sailed, 

And he to find the fancied strait had failed.* 

Could he a mere chimera have pursued — 

Some dream, or fancy, of his solitude. 

Or would the strait he pictured still be found, 

And make some later voyager renowned ? 

Such were the thoughts that floated through his 

mind 
As he abandoned all that he'd designed — 
The high anticipations he'd indulged, 
I'he mighty secret that he wished divulged, 
Whose contemplation banished thoughts of gain, 
Excepting glory for himself, and Spain, 
And which had made heroic his emprise. 
To gold alone he, now, could turn his eyes 
To give success to this, his enterprise. 

XIII. 

From El Retrete Columbus westward sailed. 
And in the squadron none the change bewailed. 
Fair blew the wind, and fast the vessels flew. 
As if on wings, across the waters blue. 
With Porto Bello reached before the night. 
So swift had, since the morning, been their flight. 
Day dawned again. With swelling canvas spread 
Once more upon their wat'ry way they sped, 
But ere they went the solemn Mass was said, 
And each on board in rev'rence bowed his head. 
For sword, and cross, and enterprise, and prayer. 
Were equal objects of his zealous care. 



*The then recent voyage of Bastides from the east had ter- 
minated at about the point now reached by Columbus from 
the west. 



194 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

A sudden change of wind from east to west, 
And ev'ry wave was whitened with a crest, 
And, soon, it blew a fierce sou'-western gale, 
And back the ships for shelter had to sail, 
But ere they gained a port the veering breeze 
From land had forced them out upon the seas, 
Where they for nine long, dreadful days were 

tossed, 
And all on board believed the squadron lost. 
So wild a tempest in a sea unknown — 
While thunder roared, and vivid lightning shone, 
And ocean boiled, and foaming billows leapt — 
Might well alarm ; and some there were who 

wept ; 
And to each other some their sins confessed. 
The stoutest looked affrighted, and distressed. 
And all prepared, by muttered prayers, for death. 
While some invoked it with their falt'ring breath, 
So desperate through horror they became ; 
And cowardice, in danger, lost its shame. 
In ceaseless torrents fell the tropic rain, 
And hungry sharks pursued them through the maiuj 
And when, at length, a water-spout was near, 
They felt the force of overwhelming fear. 
Believing death, and dire destruction nigh. 
But this, like other dangers, passed them by : — 
The tempest died away, and land appeared. 
Which drooping eyes, and languid spirits cheered; 
A port was gained — a welcome bay — at last, 
And in the Present all forgot the Past. 
Here wearing plates of gold Columbus saw 
The lordly savage, and his happy squaw — 
The tawny tenants of this sylvan scene, 
Where winter never blighted summer's green. 
All found in luscious plenty, and repose 
Relief, though fleeting, from their toil, and woes. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 195 

And then, again, pursued their westward way, 

But on the ocean Storm regained its sway, 

And they were forced to flee the angry blast. 

" How long," they cried, " this evil spell doth last ! " 

In port again the squadron anchor cast — 

Another port where all was strange, and new, 

And tropic fruits in tropic plenty grew. 

XIV. 

Before their eyes the blooming isthmus lay — 
Its beauty gilded by the beams of day — 
Where mammoth vegetation, grand and green, 
In rank profusion all around was seen, 
■ While in the distance, high the Andes rose, 
With summits hoary with eternal snows. 
Tall cocoanut, and cedar trees o'ergrew 
The spreading ceiba, picturesque to view. 
While green bananas bent with clust'ring fiuit. 
And yuca, in the brake, revealed its root. 
From tree to tree bright, blooming, climbing vines 
Their tendrils flung in long, and wand'ring, lines, 
And palms upraised their crowns to court the sun. 
While parasites as high aspired to run. 
These roimd majestic trunks, and saplings young. 
Their swift-embracing tendrils wildly tiung, 
Arraying both in bright, fantastic coils — 
Like serpents clasping in their winding toils : 
Then down to earth their trailing fronds would 

bend. 
Re-rooting there again to upward tend. 
And clothe some withered stump in colors gay. 
And throw festoons with ev'ry breeze to play. 
Eternal summer's gorgeous growths were they. 
In jungles rank the cane, and lily, throve, 
And sycamores, and mangoes, decked the grove, 



196 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And fragrant shrubs, in thickets, bloomed between. 
The gourd tree caught the sun's resplendent sheen, 
And huge zapotes beards of moss displayed. 
While cherimoyas flourished in the shade. 
The forest hid the beaming sky from view. 
Save high above a patch of flashing blue, 
And ev'ry step disclosed some feature new. 
Great mistletoes to trees like vampires clung, 
And ferns gigantic e'en as fountains hung, 
While feathered beauties exquisitely sung — 
Sung softly here and there the woodland through, 
Their plumage rich in many a lustrous hue — 
And rainbow-tinted parrots screamed aloud. 
Of gaudy colors each appearing proud. 
Gay monkeys gambolled in discursive groups — 
The mighty forest's brown unmarshalled troops — 
Or swung in giant fruit-producing trees, 
And passed from limb to limb with bird-like ease, 
Or made commotion in the solitude 
By antics droll, and rivalries for food. 
Apollo shed his splendor over all. 
And silvered with his rays the waterfall. 
Which babbled through an op'ning in the wood. 
While deep and still a river rolled its flood. 
And on its margin alligators slept, 
And fish — disporting — from the water leapt. 
Bright humming-birds, and paroquets, were there, 
Like flashing gems, careering through the air. 
Columbus knelt, and crossed himself in prayer. 
At mid-day all was solemn, calm, and still. 
Except the tuneful, ever-rippling rill — 
The babbling murmur of the plaintive brook. 
All living things their brief siesta took. 
While vertically shone the sunlight down — 
On green and gold, on red, and blue, and 
brown. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 197 

On all the tints of leaf, and fruit, and bloom, 
That served the splendid forest to illume. 
Here man his habitation built in trees, 
And left it open to the balmy breeze, 
And lived, a savage, in contented ease. 
While Nature strove his simple taste to please. 

XV. 

Columbus here repaired his caravels, 

And flattered, with his trinkets, beaux and belles. 

And then, with benedictions on the land, 

Set sail for Veragwa's alluring strand. 

And in the Yebra anchored all his fleet. 

And breathed from fruit and blossom odors sweet, 

While on the river sailed the scarlet crane— 

A splendid bird of splendid plumage vain— 

And o-reat canoes were paddled o'er its face 

By warlike Red Men full of native grace. 

But who were soon to seeming friendship won. 

They deemed their guests had journeyed from the 

sun, . 

And gazed in wonder on their faces, pale, 
Their ships, and weapons, and their coats of 

mail ; 
And here they landed eager after gold. 
And eager, too, the savage mind to mould. 
And preach the Christian faith to Pagan ears. 
And plant the Cross that Christendom reveres 
For sword, and cross, they carried in each hand 
Where'er they went in ev'ry heathen land. 

XVI. 

The natives wore, and bartered, plates of gold, 
But of their mines with great reluctance told. 



198 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For jealous of the strangers they became 

And wondered what — in coming — was their aim. 

Bartholomew Cokimbus then explored, 

And gathered where he went a shining hoard, 

Which gladdened all his comrades as they gazed ; 

And while they crowded round, and looked amazed, 

And new, and airy castles built in Spain — 

He told how great had been their common gain, 

" Aurea Chersonesus ! it is found — " 

Exclaimed Columbus as he glanced around 

And saw the gleanings from the mines ot gold, 

Whose wealth he deemed was known in times of old : 

"Great Solomon from these his riches drew, 

And I their ore will bring again to view. 

And thus redeem from infidels the tomb 

That now is wrapped in more than heathen gloom. 

Erelong that Holy Sepulchre I'll gain. 

Committing it, in custody, to Spain, 

And o'er it plant the banner of the Cross, 

The Christian's triumph, and the Pagan's loss. — 

Jerusalem awaits the grand event. 

And to achieve it I — yes I ! — am sent ! 

So Veragwa your golden treasures yield ! 

No longer let your riches lie concealed, 

But be to all the nations now revealed. 

With these I'll put my forces in the field!" 

Columbus felt his ardor burn anew, 

And deeply he enthusiastic grew. 

Here he surveyed with contemplative eyes 

The golden fruits that crowned his enterprise. 

Here he would found a city by the shore, 

A city great as Babylon of yore, 

And there a chosen number could remain 

While he, for succor, voyaged back to Spain. 

With speed the work was then and there begun. 

And homes were built to screen from rain, and sun, 



OR THE STORY OF THE iVElV WORLD. 199 

The walls of wood, the roofs of matted leaves, 
And stalks of maize in golden yellow sheaves. 
Columbus, then, to leave the port prepared, 
And all his glowing expectations shared. 
When lo I he saw an obstacle to this. 
Which marred with disappointment all his bliss. 
The river that was swollen when he came — 
The Yebra — now the Bethlehem — by name — 
By torrents from the mighty mountain chain. 
And sparkling floods of fast descending rain, 
Had dwindled till his vessels ran aground 
As on their way they voyaged, outward bound. 
For rains had ceased, and torrents roared no more, 
And, till a change, the ships were tied to shore. 

XVII. 

The great cazique who there the sceptre swayed, 

Grew jealous, and indignant, and afraid, 

And marshalled, as for warfare, all his hosts 

To drive the pale invaders from his coasts. 

In spirit warlike, and as bold of mien, 

He saw with hate the change that marked the 

scene : 
But crafty in his nature, like his race, 
His purpose was a secret to his face. 
In Quibian Columbus knew his foe, 
And knowing, would anticipate his blow. 
Bartholomew — with eighty in his band — 
To capture him, and all his leaders, planned, 
And journeyed swiftly to the chief's abode 
Ere he discovered they were on the road. 
By stratagem a captive he was made, 
And all in vain he cried aloud for aid. 
Like all his household he was borne away — 
Bound hand and foot — to where the river lay. 



200 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And there on board a waiting boat was placed 

And carried toward the caravels in haste, 

I3iit on the way — the shades of night around — 

There fell upon the ear a plunging sound, 

And, with dismay, his jailers cried — "He's fled!" 

The broad and silent river round them spread. 

Bathed in the Queen of Night's refulgent sheen, 

But of the chieftain not a sign was seen, 

And they could utter naught but their chagrin. 

They deemed he'd chosen in the stream to die, 

Resolved from bondage e'en to death to fly, 

For, bound with cords, he'd ne'er the shore 

regain. 
His loss would be the alligators' gain. 

XVHI. 

With heaps of gold, for which his comrades yearned, 

Bartholomew triumphantly returned. 

The wigwam of the chieftain he had sacked. 

And he expected little that it lacked, 

For massive plates, and coronets of ore. 

And wrist, and ankle. Ornaments he wore. 

And all his chiefs, his children, and his wives, 

Bedecked their bodies with the golden gyves. 

Columbus deemed that danger now was past. 

And as the stream again was rising fast. 

He lightened all his vessels, saving one. 

And crossed the bar, impatient to be gone. 

That one he gave to those he left behind 

To build the mighty city he designed — 

The eighty he selected to remain. 

And hold the country in the name of Spain — 

O'er whom he left Bartholomew to rule — 

A soldier with the Indies for his school. 

He counselled all the Spaniards what to do — 



OR THE STOEY OF THE NEW WORLD. 201 

And of his brother took a fond adieu. 
But adverse winds — with stormy weather — blew, 
And so he anchored off the river's mouth 
To wait a breeze to bear him from the south, 
For he to San Domingo meant to steer 
When from his vision land receded here, 
And send from thence assistance, and supplies, 
To nourish, and promote the enterprise 
While he pursued his wat'ry way to Spain, 
To there proclaim the kingdom's golden gain. 
But mark the sequel : let us eye the shore. 
Already it was dyed with Spanish gore. 
The agile Quibian, who his captors tied. 
Was not — as they had deemed the chieftain — dead. 
For when he vanished in the sparkling tide. 
Although his hands and feet were doubly tied, 
He to a distance — diving, swimming — hied. 
And felt the water kindred to the air 
As courting Hope he battled with Despair; 
Then rose to breathe; the cords of bondage broke. 
And freed himself from the invaders' yoke. 
Restored to freedom on the neighb'ring shore, 
To wreak his vengeance on his foes he swore, 
And, racked by anguish, planned their dire de- 
feat. 
The proverb tells us that " revenge is sweet." 
His home a ruin — now deserted — lay; 
His wives, and children, had been borne away; 
And when he saw the caravels depart, 
With those on board the dearest to his heart. 
He. showed redoubled fury in his eyes. 
The Spanish camp was taken by surprise. 
And far, and wide, resounded savage cries. 
While Indian hosts attacked their scattered foes 
With flying arrows from their twanging bows. 
And struck, and suffered, devastating blows. 



202 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

The swords, and lances, of the Spaniards gleamed, 
The forest with the naked warriors teemed, 
While yells terrific rent the fragrant air, 
And Spanish trumpets mocked them with their 

blare. 
The Red Men writhed beneath the cutting steel, 
For death was in the weapons of Castile. 
A bloodhound added terror to the fight, 
And from its brunt they sought escape in flight. 
*' A boat ! a boat ! " just then the Spaniards cried, 
And all its pouting sail, with gladness, eyed. 
It bounded shore-ward from the wailing fleet, 
And seemed from death to show a safe retreat. 
For those Columbus left upon the shore 
Expected ne'er to meet their comrades more. 
It came for fruit, for water, and for wood, 
And up the river, on its course, it stood, 
Nor heeded warnings shouted from the land, 
Nor offered succor to the shouting band. 
A league above the Spanish camp it sailed. 
Its crew of twelve all fully armed, and mailed. 
A turn, and it was suddenly assailed! 
From lofty banks, with overspreading trees. 
Where odors sweet were wafted on the breeze, 
Came savage war-whoops, and appalling yells. 
And furious blasts of conch — resounding — shells, 
While light canoes from all directions flew, 
Whose dusky crews their darts, and arrows threw — 
All standing up, save one in each to steer. 
And boldly to the cutter drawing near ; 
And while a storm of missiles from the shore, 
In whizzing concert, added to the roar. 
Thus wounded, galled, confounded, and alarmed, 
The Spanish soldiers were as men disarmed. 
Their oars, and arms, alike neglected lay : — 
They only sought a shelter from the fray, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 203 

And in their bucklers found their only shield. 
Their captain urged them loudly ne'er to yield, 
But fear had left them helpless in the strife, 
A moment more, and he was robbed of life, 
For as he spoke a weapon pierced his eye, 
And Diego Tristan perished with a sigh. 
With fresh dismay his comrades saw him die. 
How, now, could they — bewildered — fight, or fly.'' 
But ere their reeling senses warning gave 
Beneath them seemed to yawn their common grave. 
Down on the boat the whole flotilla rushtd, 
And all the crew, remorselessly, were crushed. 
Save one who, falling overboard, had dived. 
Then, swimming, at the Spanish camp arrived, 
And there the tale of massacre was told, 
Which made the blood of those who heard it 
cold. 

XIX. 

All felt dismay, and clamored to depart. 
A weight of sorrow hung on ev'ry heart. 
Columbus naught of their misfortunes knew. 
And, with his anchored ships, was out of view. 
Fair blew the wind to bear him on his way. 
The missing boat — would he for that delay ? 
Bartholomew appealed to them in vain. 
They cried — "We'll take the caravel for Spain !" 
And in despair they tried to put to sea. 
But found, erelong, that this was not to be. 
Their vessel grounded at the river's mouth, 
For recent rains were followed by a drought. 
Their only boat they then essayed to use 
To carry to the Admiral the news, 
But breakers rolled, and wind, and sea, were high, 
And like a wail was heard the petrel's cry. 



204 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The roaring surf repelled it from its breast, 
And drove it shore-ward on its foaming crest. 
Then flights of crows, and vultures near them drew, 
And pallid they, witji greater horror, grew, 
For mangled bodies floated down the stream, 
And on their breasts they saw cuirasses gleam — 
The screaming, fighting, feeding birds of prey. 
But adding to their anguish, and dismay. 

XX. 

The savages, elated with success. 

Were eager, now, upon their foes to press, 

And whoops, and yells, resounded far and wide. 

While drums, and shells, were heard on ev'ry side. 

The Spaniards sought a refuge on the shore, 

Where they could hear the angry breakers roar, 

And there they made a bulwark of their boat, 

And boldly all who ventured near them smote. 

Though sad forebodings filled their thoughts with 

pain. 
They feared they'd soon be numbered with the 

slain, 
Beneath the swelling forces of their foes. 
Whose fierce assaults bereft them of repose. 
Of food, and powder they'd a scanty store, 
And, these exhausted, could they battle more ? 

XXI. 

With anxious eyes Columbus sought a sail. 
And heard the whistling music of the gale. 
But day by day he shore-ward looked in vain. 
No boat-like speck was seen upon the main. 
One boat alone was left the squadron now, 
And ill could that a sea so stormy plough, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 205 

Or he had searched for tidings on the land. 
Still louder grew the surf upon the strand. 

XXII. 

'Twas night, and from the captives' caravel 
There rang the clangor of the warning bell. 
A single hold — its single hatchway closed — 
Had all of these, with all their grief, enclosed, 
And guarding sailors on the hatch reposed. 
The captives piled the ballast near them high, 
Resolved from bondage, or to death, to fl}'. 
Then mounting this, and stooping as they rose. 
They placed their backs against their sleeping foes. 
Their prison, with the speed of light'ning, burst, 
And o'er the decks the slumb'ring crew dispersed. 
Then leapt — ne'er pausing — in the troubled sea, 
And gloried in their hearts that they were free. 
But some were captured ere they kissed the spray, 
And soon again beneath the hatch they lay. 
The Spaniards raised it at the break of day. 
Though fearful still the rest would steal away, 
When lo ! a ghastly prospect met the sight ! 
Each captive's soul, alas ! had taken flight, 
And lifeless bodies only there were seen. 
These told the mournful story of the scene. 
Recaptured, yet from bondage they would flee, 
Nor e'er again the light of morning see, 
For death was dearer than the hated yoke — 
Death, too, that but of bitter anguish spoke. 
All strangely smothered, hanged, or strangled, died. 
Columbus o'er their self-destruction sighed — 
A spectacle that filled him with regret — 
A sight whose horror he could ne'er forget. 
Yet while it grieved him it suggested harm, 
And kindled, as he pondered, fresh alarm. 



2o6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For such a race would conquer, or would die. 

Could he ihe danger of the camp deny ? 

Where now were those who left the caravel ? 

Their comrades on to battle they'd impel, 

For they were swimmers who the waves could 

breast, 
And ride, like dolphins, on each foaming crest, 
And through the boiling surf the shore regain. 
Such daring spirits augured ill for Spain. 

XXIII. 

Still raged the storm, and still no boat appeared, 
And all the crews some grave disaster feared. 
'Twas then a hardy sailor cried — " Behold ! 
Not less the Spaniard than the Indian's bold ! 
But take me in the boat a league away, 
And through the roaring surf I'll force my way, 
And from the beach again the tidings bear. 
My trust I'll place in God's protecting care." 
"Well spoken," said Columbus, "thou art brave! 
Go forth, and seek the missing ones to save ! " 
Ledesma — Pedro — needed none to urge. 
But soon was boldly battling with the surge — 
Now rising high, now dashed upon the sand. 
'Mid fiying foam at last, he trod the strand : 
And there he found — beleagured, and forlorn — 
With naught sustaining save some ears of corn — 
His comrades, in their fortress by the sea. 
They leapt with joy his noble form to see, 
As statue-like — in nakedness — he stood. 
Still fresh, and dripping from the foaming flood. 
Aye frantic was the welcome that they gave. 
He came as if to snatch them from the grave, 
And with imploring eyes they begged his aid, 
And for his safe return devoutly prayed. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 207 

"Oil! ask," the)' cried, " Columbus help to send, 
Or we shall meet a sad, untimely end. 
Our only hope of rescue's in the fleet. 
All hail ! the prospect of a safe retreat ! " 
With horror thrilled, Ledesma turned away, 
Once more to breast the blinding foam, and spray, 
And reach the boat that 'yond the breakers lay. 
The hero's courage won a hero's fame. 
Behold — to-day — immortalized his name ! 
Columbus swelled the chorus of his praise, 
And by his comrades he was crowned with bays. 
" How fares the boat .'' What tidings from the 

shore .-• 
Has war prevailed, and is the battle o'er ? " 
Fast from impatient lips the questions fell. 
Ledesma's answers sounded like a knell. 
Men listened, as in stupor, to his tale, 
And as he told it grew with horror pale. 
'Twas like some ghastly, terrifying dream. 
Where fancies slrange in wild disorder teem ; 
And eyes were turned to eyes, as if to say — 
" Is this the night, or sleep we in the day? " 
Of sore defeat Columbus felt the pain.* 
" Is all I've done," he sadly asked, '" in vain, 
Or, can I yet this savage land regain ? 
I fain would here with all my crews remain. 
But who would bear the tidings back to Spain? 
Too weak am I the camp ashore to aid. 
To leave it longer there I feel afraid. 
A single course alone is left me now. 
God's will be done : — to this I humbly bow. 

*The Indians here were of a more hardy race than the 
islanders, and this was the first repulse sustained by the Span- 
iards in the New World ; but for which adverse event Colum- 
bus would have had the honor of planting the first European 
settlement on the continent of America. 



2oS THE SONG OF AMERICA AXD COLUMBUS; 

Let all ashore, in order, beat retreat. 
And join again their comrades of the fleet, 
And, through the surf, may His almighty hand, 
In safety, lead them from the troubled land ! 
But racked by storms, and far too feebly manned. 
And anchored where to leeward lies the shore — 
While lashed to foam, the swelling breakers roar — 
These crazy barks destruction seem to woo. 
Their anchors lost, I naught to save could do, 
For in the surf their fragments soon would lie, 
And all would bid to all the world good-by." 

XXIV. 

Still anxious days, and sleepless nights were passed, 
While through the shrouds declaimed the stormy 

blast, 
And far, and wide, the dancing waves were seen — 
The distance blue — the shallows tinged with ereen. 
Twas then Columbus fevered, and depressed, 
Lay down one eve his wearied form to rest, 
And heard a voice descending from the sky, 
Which sank to whispers as it floated nigh. 
It told him he was blessed before his birth, 
That God decreed his course upon the earth, 
And watched his progress with paternal care ; 
And bade him ne'er — whate'er might come — 

despair. 
What more, of yore, had He for David done — 
A simple shepherd ere a throne he won — 
Or yet for Moses great in sacred lore, 
Or all the prophets since, or yet before. 
Than He for him — Columbus — here had wrought .'' 
With grander deeds the future, too, was fraught, 
For He would lead him on to fresh renown. 
And all his works with endless glory crown. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 209 

"In Him," it said, "unfailing trust repose.^^ 

With His proleclion fear no earthly foes ! "^ 

The dreamer started when the dream was o'er, 

With exaltation in the look he wore, 

And then in rapt devotion, kneeling, gazed. 

And cried aloud—" A vision ! God be praised ! 

I feel myself an instrument divine 

To execute Jehovah's grand design, 

Whose voice has come to comfort and to cheer. 

With Him to guard, no more have I to fear ! " 

No vision ! 'twas the mirage of the mind. 

That left him thus to all but fancy, blind. 

His waking thoughts, in slumber, filled his brain ; 

And o'er him oft Delusion seemed to reign ; 

But o'er him, too, Devotion held its sway. 

And morn and eve he knelt, with zeal, to pray, 

And chanted hymns, at vespers, ev'ry day. 

XXV. 

Nine long and weary days of storm had passed, 
When all, one morning cried—" 'Tis fair at last ! " 
The wind had lulled, and ocean calmer grew, 
While Phoebus touched with gold its green, and 

blue. 
Erelong the ships held converse with the shore, 
And breakers ceased their melancholy roar. 
The Spaniards in the fort with wild delight 
Beheld the squadron's cutter sail in sight. 
For still beleaguered, and with scant supplies, 
They'd feared that death would end their enter- 
prise — 
Death ere relief could reach them from the fleet — 
Death ere they could from yelling foes retreat. 
The hope of rescue warmed their hearts anew, 
And those who erst were sad ecstatic grew. 



2IO THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Still stranded in the stream their vessel lay, 

And ne'er again in that they'd sail away, 

For only floods her grounded keel would float. 

'Twas then that Diego Mendez — strong, and 

brave — 
Cried " Follow me, and all we have we'll save ! " 
And all as one, his skilful lead obeyed. 
While hard they strove their common cause to 

aid. 
With two canoes, and spars, they built a boat, 
And loading this with what their fort supplied 
They towed it to the waiting squadron's side. 
Then brought it back, and oft repeated this, 
Yet felt their toil was little less than bliss. 
So eager were they all to leave the coast. 
And flee the wrath of its avenging host. 
The caravel of all its gear was stripped, 
And this, with whatsoe'er it held, was shipped. 
And naught beside the hull was left behind — 
A useless wreck, dismantled, undermined. 
But while they labored, oft had they to fight, 
And intercept the arrow in its flight. 
In boundless joy the past was lost to sight 
When all again on board the ships embraced, 
And welcome gave to Ocean's wavy waste. 

XXVI. 

For Hayti's isle Columbus gladly steered. 
But — sailing eastward — fresh disaster feared. 
For all his ships were barely more than wrecks, — 
So honey-combed the worms their hulls, and decks, 
And ceaseless leaks for ceaseless bailing called. 
On one of these the crev/ became appalled. 
For they beheld her sinking by degrees. 
And shipping — as she lurched to leeward — seas; — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 21 1 

So she on Porto Bfllo's beach was run, 
Her work upon the sea forever done. 
Two caravels alone for all remained — 
O'ercrowded these, and vastly overstrained — 
But eastward still they ploughed their wat'ry way, 
And reached the splendid gulf — Uarien's bay ; 
Then northward stood, for San Domingo bound, 
And left Pacific's ocean, vast, unfound. 
Beyond the view, but near, its waters spread, 
As if they fain Atlantic's waves would wed; 
Yet ne'er till Vasco Nunez crossed the land. 
And from the mountains saw its sandy strand, 
Gazed white explorers on its broad expanse. 
And saw its ripples, in the sunlight, dance. 

XXVII. 

Past the Tortugas,* where the turtles lay — 
Twin isles with bright perfuming blossoms gay — 
And then by Cuba, and the Garden throng,t 
Where birds made solitudes alive with song, 
In safety ploughed the caravels their course. 
Then blew the wind with wild, terrific force. 
And thunder pealed sublimely through the sky. 
While light'ning played fantastic freaks on high. 
The sails were rent; the bulwarks washed away. 
And through the air was blown the ocean spray. 
Across the decks the seas, in fury, leapt, 
And overboard the only boat was swept. 
The caravels like toy-boats rose, and fell — 
From lofty mountain peak to lowly dell — 



* Two islands to the northwest of Hispaniola, so named by 
Columbus, but now known as the Caymans. 

t The cluster of small islands called the Queen's Gardens, 
on the south side of Cuba. 



212 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

With walls of waters roaring all around, 

And whistling blasts to swell the awful sound. 

Columbus anchored by an islet, green. 

And gazed in awe upon the stormy scene, 

But soon the tempest swept the ships away, 

When all on board, in terror, knelt to pray. 

And these colliding, as they drifted on, 

Made some exclaim — " Alas ! at last we're gone ! " 

Like fighting rams that batter, skull to skull, 

They struck, and locked, and battled, hull to hull. 

At length they parted, with their anchors lost, 

And on the foaming billows, high, were tossed, 

Each sailor's eyes reflecting his despair. 

Six days of storm, and skies again were fair, 

And still the ships were floating on the deep. 

Now lulled, once more, by gentle airs to sleep. 

For Hayti's isle Columbus steered again, 

But sadder still — despairing — grew his men. 

And as they sailed by Cuba's western shore. 

Some cried — "We'll land, and sail the sea no 

more ! " 
And here he paused for rest and fresh supplies, 
And shelter, too, for winds began to rise. 
The natives brought delicious fruits, and maize. 
Cassava bread that won the Spaniards' praise, 
And wine fermented in Apollo's rays. 
And danced in groves, and sweet areytos sung. 
While to their guests they tendered vestals, young. 
Some fain would there have lingered out their lives, 
And chosen island beauties for their wives, 
But sails were spread for Hayti's isle anew, — 
And all to Cuba bade a long adieu, — 
Yet though, to reach it, hard Columbus strove. 
The barks, the winds and currents, backward drove 
While fast they leaked as if their end was near. 
"We sink ! we sink ! " the crews exclaimed in fear. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 213 

Columbus knew the peril great indeed, 

And he was forced the warning words to heed, 

And in despair of reaching Hayti's shore, 

His sinking ships — before the wind — he wore.* 

He steered for land — the nearest he could see. 

Jamaica showed her mountains on his lee, 

And ere they foundered, lo ! he gained the strand, 

And saw in this, an all-protecting hand. 

Not where he landed first, howe'er, he stayed, 

But southward sailed, and found a lovely glade, 

That opened on a small, sequestered bay, 

Where once, in days before, his squadron lay, 

And which Port San Glor-i-a, then, was named — 

A charming spot by hills, and woodland framed — 

A welcome prospect to his anxious eye — 

With mountains in the distance looming high : 

And there with speed the caravels were beached. 

" Thank God," he cried, " that land again is 

reached ! 
I feel that this by Providence is willed ! " 
Up to their decks the ships were water-filled. 
There side by side the shattered hulls were cast. 
" To this we've come," the many said — " at last ! " 
And cursed the fate that led them e'er from home, 
Through seas unknown, and savage lands, to roam. 
Each bark became a castle in the sea — 
A sight the natives wondered much to see — 
And huts were built astern, and at the prows, 
From palm-leaves, reeds, and twisted cedar boughs; 
And guns were placed, the shore to best com- 
mand, 
And all the crews were ordered ne'er to land. 



*To wear a ship is to put her on the other tack, with her 
stern to windward. 



214 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COT UM BUS. 

Save when, and where, they won their chief's as- 
sent, 

Or on some errand to the isle were sent. 

For these, 'twas known, to reckless deeds were 
prone, 

And heedless grown of rights, except their own. 

An Indian brand might wrap the wrecks in flames, 

And then farewell to life, and all its aims ; 

For how could few 'mid hostile hosts survive? 

'Twere vain against the multitude to strive. 

XXVIII. 

Rude, roaring winds were hushed, and all was 

calm — 
A change that brought the weary wand'rers balm. 
The palm-trees waved again before their view 
Beneath a sky of deep, unriifified blue. 
The sea stretched molten-gold-like far away, 
And — save themselves — the world around was gay. 
Bananas with their bountiful supplies, 
And plantains, emeraldine in their dyes, 
In rich profusion met their hungry eyes. 
Bright waving fields of ripe and yellow maize 
Shone in the fiery sun's pellucid rays, 
And cocoa-nuts and pomegranates, hung 
From branches where melodiously sung 
The golden oriole, and tropeo — 
With notes now swelling loud, now sweet and 

low. 
The fig, and ceiba, lordly branches spread, 
While parrots golden, green, and flaming red 
With idle chatter filled the fragrant air. 
And sportive monkeys gambolled ev'rywhere. 
Here, too, the stately date-tree cast its shade. 
And v/ith its wealth of leaf the zephyrs played ; 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 215 

The mango, side by side, its fruit displayed ; 

The cactus grew beneath, in bloom arrayed; 

The cherimoya bore its tempting load. 

And the sispero lesser riches showed ; 

And granadillas here and there were seen 

Amid the forest's crimson, gold and green — 

As bright as pictured fairy-land the scene : 

And, best of all, the savage proved a friend. 

Who offered aid — where'er he could — to lend, 

And brought his guests the richest island fruits, 

And fowl, and fish, and appetizing roots. 

In turn, Columbus gave him beads of glass, 

And hooks, and knives, and combs, and bells of 

brass. 
More priceless to barbaric eyes than gems, 
Though bright as e'er were seen in diadems. 
But scanty grew, erelong, the isle's supplies, 
And Diego Mendez — ripe for enterprise — 
Cried out — " I'll range the land from end to end, 
And cause the chiefs whate'er we need to send, 
Not only now, but while we linger here, 
For Nature gives to all the best of cheer, 
And at her banquet why should mortals pine ? 
Give me but trinkets, and the help Divine!" 
Columbus said — " A truly brave design ! 
Success attend thee, Mendez, on thy way. 
And God restore thee to this tranquil bay." 
So Mendez — who in peril found delight — 
Invoking Him to nerve his arm with Might, 
Set out to traverse regions wild, and new — 
Where all was picturesque that met the view. 
Three comrades shared his pilgrimage awhile. 
And all they saw upon them seemed to smile. 
While each cazique with all he wished complied — 
To hunt, and fish, and gather fruits, and grain, 
And send them daily to the sons of Spain, 



2i6 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And make — when needed — sweet cassava bread. 

From chief to chief intrepid Mendez sped, 

And fearless as a native of attack, 

He one by one dispatched his comrades back 

To tell Columbus how his course had run, 

And what achievements he — in peace — had won. 

Then on he went — exploring still — alone 

Through regions wild the white man ne'er had 

known, 
And nightly swung his hammock in the trees, 
And slept as one who felt his mind at ease. 
At length he reached the island's eastern coast, 
And had the chief Ameero for his host — 
A mighty monarch in his people's eyes. 
His advent here occasioned glad surprise. 
And round him danced, disporting, naked throngs, 
Who beat their drums, and sang inspiring songs. 
Ameero vowed devotion, like the rest. 
And welcomed Mendez warmly from the West, 
And promised, dail\', fresh supplies to send. 
And by his actions prove himself a friend, 
Though he was at Jamaica's eastern end. 
He with the stranger made exchange of names,* 
And in his honor played the native games. 
He sold him, too, a royal war canoe, 
And manned it with a lithe athletic crew 
Before whose stroke it o'er the waters flew. 
Then to Ameero, Mendez bade adieu. 
And — homeward-bound — went gliding by the shore, 
And to his comrades, what they sighed for, bore — 
Of esculents a ripe, and tempting store. 
Columbus led the acclamations, loud, 
And cried, — " Hurrah ! of Mendez Spain is proud ! " 



*This was a token of brotherhood among the Indians. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 217 

Henceforward — daily — natives came, in file, 
With all the choicest products of the isle, 
And gewgaws, in return, Columbus gave. 
Which won, alike, the heart of belle, and brave. 

XXIX. 

His dismal plight Columbus pondered o'er, 

And longed for means to flee the island shore. 

No passing sail he e'er could hope to see 

In that untraversed, just discovered, sea. 

The caravels could no escape afford, 

For through each board the busy worms had 

bored, 
And Hayti's isle — full forty leagues away — 
Across a gulf with changing currents, lay. 
The fickle natives soon might be his foes, 
And seeming friendship mask intended blows. 
A burning brand the vessels might consume. 
And seal his own, and all his comrades' doom. 
He thought of Mendez, and his war canoe, 
And knew him to his cause, and country true, 
And hopeful, as he dwelt upon it, grew. 
He turned to Mendez, speaking thus the while — •■ 
" Upon our lot Jehovah yet will smile. 
And lead us safely from this savage isle. 
Our only craft is now thy great canoe. 
Who will, in this, a deed heroic do ? 
And sail from hence to San Domingo port, 
The tidings of disaster to report. 
And send a ship to bear us all away.-* 
For such a hero let us kneel and pray." 
" Senor, I know our danger," he replied, 
" But shipwrecked men would rather here abide 
Than court, in such a way, a wat'ry grave. 
Who does it must, indeed, be truly brave ! " 



2iS THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

" What say you, Mendez, if I name the man 

Who thus the gulf of forty leagues can span ? " 

And as he spoke Columbus made a sign : — 

" His name, my trusty friend, 1 know is thine !" 

" Senor," said Mendez, as he humbly bowed, 

" I feel of such distinction rightly proud ; 

And oft, as well you know, I've peril braved, 

And life, perchance, by strong exertions saved, 

Yet God, in mercy, still my life preserved. 

And blessings gave that I but ill deserved. 

But envy always follows swift renown. 

And some would drag from laurelled brows the 

crown. 
Success engenders hatred in the mean, 
And fills aspiring rivals with chagrin : 
And thus it is that I, so meek, and low, 
Have in the camp for ev'ry friend a foe. 
Men hate me for the good that I have done, 
Since I, in doing such, achievements won. 
I will not, then, say I will do the deed, 
For jealousy — believe me — that would feed. 
First ask my comrades which of these will go. 
If all refuse my answer you shall know. 
But mark you this — I'll risk my life for you, 
And deem it but my duty so to do." 
All hands were on the morrow called, and lo ! 
Not one but to the question answered "No," 
Save Diego Mendez who advancing said — 
" Not I of such an enterprise have dread. 
One life alone, on earth, have I to lose. 
And I may save the lives of all the crews. 
I'll gladly strive to serve my fellow-men, — 
And may I live to do it o'er again, — 
And God protect me in the daring task. 
His blessing is the greatest boon I ask." 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 219 



XXX. 

From Need — its parent — thus Invention grew, 

And Diego Mendez eyed his war-canoe, 

And vowed in this his simple Indian ark 

On succor bent, for Hayti, he'd embark. 

He rigged it with a single mast, and sail ; 

And weather-boards, surmounted by a rail. 

He nailed along the curving bow and stern ; 

And, then, to guard against its overturn 

He gave it what it lacked, a cutter's keel, 

And named it Isabella of Castile. 

For eight in all he sent on board supplies — 

A native crew would aid the enterprise — 

And coated it — to strengthen it — with tar, 

And placed on board — in case of need — a spar. 

A comrade, then, said — "With you I will go. 

For more than one, at times, we two may know." 

Six stalwart natives manned the fragile boat. 

The while Columbus to Ovando wrote, 

And much his own and comrades' lot deplored, 

And help from whosoe'er could help implored. 

" Give aid," said he, " my shipwrecked crews to save, 

Or in Jamaica's isle behold their grave ; " 

And letters, too, he wrote to friends in Spain, 

And told the story eloquent with pain. 

Beseeching help in this his time of need. 

"May King, and Queen," he penned, "their servant 

heed. 
And God protect us in this savage land. 
And lead us, ere we die, to Hayti's strand," 
While — hopeful still — he spoke of great designs, 
And of Ver-a-gwa's vast, and ancient mines, 
Whence Solomon extracted wealth in gold 
To build the Temple great in times of old. 



220 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

To these again erelong he'd take his course, 
And overwhehn the native tribes with force, 
And, guided by the Omnipresent hand, 
Reap all the treasure of a country grand — 
O'er which the Andes rose sublimely high 
As if to learn the^secrets of the sky. 
Imagination bore him far away, 
And still he lived in dreams of bright Cathay 
Though shipwrecked thus on such a lonely isle — 
With careworn face that seldom showed a smile — 
Racked by disease, and broken down by toil. 
'Twas strange he yearned for rest far less than 
moil. 

XXXI. 

Columbus gave to Mendez all he'd penned. 
And then embraced him warmly as a friend. 
While both in broken accents cried — "Adieu!" 
All eyes were bent upon the lone canoe 
As in the distance less, and less, it grew 
Till — far away — it vanished from the view, 
Involved in sea, and sky, divinely blue. 
All hearts were with it on the trackless deep, 
And men unused to tears were seen to weep, 
While prayers for Mendez rose to ev'ry lip — 
"God spare his light canoe, and send a ship." 
They watched him long — in thought — upon the 

way, 
And for his welfare prayed from day to day. 
For fifteen days the bark had been at sea 
When some one cried — " A speck I yonder see ! " 
And soon in sight the little craft appeared. 
All gazed in wonder, and disaster feared. 
Alone, and crewless, Mendez toward them steered. 
And as he neared the shore his comrades cheered. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 221 

He told of capture, and escape, a tale 

Which made Columbus as he heard it quail. 

Far as Jamaica's end his craft had gone, 

And there some evil spirit lured him on. 

For seeking rest, and plenty, on the shore — 

Which Summer's garb through all the seasons wore — 

A host of red men seized himself, and crew. 

He feared he'd much in landing there to rue. 

They led them to a green sequestered glade 

Where hosts in paint, and feathers, were arrayed, 

And Mendez with his comrade, knelt, and prayed. 

He saw a chieftain's daughter, young and fair. 

Reclining in a swinging hammock there, 

And begged her to her father to appeal 

To set him free — a sailor of Castile, 

And paid a graceful tribute to her charms 

By winding wire around her splendid arms. 

She pleaded with her father, but in vain. 

And Mendez saw her bosom heave with pain. 

When to his ear the tidings she conveyed. 

He grew despondent— of his fate afraid — 

And — like his comrade — dreading mortal strife, 

He sought to win the maiden for his wife. 

That night she guided Mendez to the shore. 

And bade him leave, nor e'er approach it more. 

He wished her, tenderly, a long adieu. 

And all alone set out in his canoe. 

Nor of his comrade e'er he heard again, 

But oft he thought of lovely Yerri-yen.* 

XXXH. 

" 'Tis not in me," said Mendez, "to despair 
While strength remains disaster to repair. 

*The chieftain's daughter. 



222 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Once more I'll strive to Hayti's coast to sail, 

Nor fault of mine will make the effort fail." 

'Twas then an expedition, new, was planned, 

With Mendez, and Fiesco, in command. 

And two canoes, each well equipped and manned, 

Began their journey to the distant land. 

Along the shore escorted on their way 

By those prepared molesting foes to slay ; 

But none were met, and so the guard returned, 

When they no more the speeding skiffs discerned. 

They watched with anxious eyes those fading 

arks, 
More precious than a thousand freighted barks. 
As Caesar, and his fortunes, dear were they, 
And prayers pursued them as they passed away. 

XXXIII. 

Twelve sons of Spain, and twenty Indian braves 
In these canoes were borne across the wav'es, 
Each with a calabash — the native ewer — 
Filled up with Nature's nectar — water, pure, 
Cassava bread, too, made by nut-brown hands — 
The staff of life in these barbaric lands. 
The wind — at first propitious — died away, 
And in a calm the glitt'ring ocean lay. 
The sunlight blazed upon the wat'ry waste 
As neck, and neck, the tiny vessels raced, 
The mighty waters bright as burnished brass. 
And smooth, and clear, and mirror-like as glass. 
All felt the deep a solitude profound. 
For silence reigned except the plashing sound 
Of plying paddles, or some sea-bird's cry 
As in its languid flight it hovered nigh. 
The scorching heat, and too protracted toil, 
Made all the paddlers from their task recoil, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 223 

And one poor Indian sickened soon, and died, 
While o'er his fate his drooping comrades sighed. 
Two days, and nights of weary torture passed, 
And each one thought his doom was near at last. 
No land in sight, no water left to drink. 
Well might the stoutest of the rowers sink. 
Their raging thirst o'ercame them, and they lay 
In anguish, hopeless of another day. 

Night came again, when rose the silver moon 

And lustre shed as if to rival noon. 

The watchful Mendez saw a dusky line 

Abruptly rising from the ocean's brine. 

" Land, ho ! " he cried in loud, and startling 

tones, 
And shouts of gladness rose o'er feeble moans. 
New life was into dying men infused, 
Who started from their fevered dreams confused, 
When on the air there rang that welcome cry. 
They rose again from where they'd sank to die — 
With hope renewed — to labor as before 
Though weak, and gasping, till they reached the 

shore. 
And all night long each feebly plied his oar. 
Then when, at morn, the rugged strand was gained 
From signs of joy not one of all refrained. 
For water — water — ev'ry tongue was raised, 
And ev'ry Spaniard saint and Virgin praised, 
Yet where the bubbling nectar kissed the rock 
Some perished, as they quaffed, beneath the shock, 
So deeply of the sparkling stream they drank. 
Too much they drew from mother Nature's bank. 
'Twas but a barren spot — Navassa's isle — 
A treeless waste that covered scarce a mile. 
But fish in shells were scattered o'er the shore, 
And starving men had need of little more, 



224 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

For crabs, and turtles, made a rich repast 

On which to break their long-protracted fast. 

There Hayti's distant mountains met the view 

Like pencilled lines against the vault of blue. 

Eight leagues away the isle they longed for lay 

Resplendent in the golden beams of day, 

And, with delight reflected in their eyes. 

They turned them upward to the beaming skies. 

And moved their lips in soul-communing prayer, 

And thanked Jehovah for his guiding care. 

At eve again they ventured on their way. 

And — on the morrow — in a sheltered bay — 

On Hayti's beach they saw the ripples play. 

The natives gave them all a welcome, kind. 

And some with these to linger felt resigned. 

'Twas by Tiburon's Cape they trod the land — 

With San Domingo on the northern strand. 

And nigh four hundred miles of sea between. 

Whose waters in the shallows turned to green. 

"To San Domingo we'll at once repair," 

Said Mendez to his comrades gathered there, 

But these replied they'd linger there awhile 

Ere they so far began to skirt the isle : 

So all alone, excepting friendly braves. 

He ventured forth, to strive with winds, and 

waves. 
Across a changeful, and capricious, sea 
Before the wind, careering fresh, and free, 
For eighty leagues, ne'er pausing once, he sailed, 
And landing, then, was like a prince regaled. 
But tidings there the Spaniard heard with pain. 
Which made him turn abruptly from the main. 
Ovando had from San Domingo gone. 
To Zaragwa — with troops — he'd hurried on. 
And, o'er the mountains, onward Mendez sped, 
By love of fame, and noble purpose, led. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 225 



XXXIV. 

He traversed grove on grove of splendid trees — 
Through which, in whispers, spoke the plaintive 

breeze — 
And breathed their fragrant odors with delight; 
He watched the heron in its soaring flight, 
Till like a speck it seemed against the sky. 
While pelicans, as grandly, sailed on high. 
He ploughed his way through seas of living 

green, 
Where, until then, the white man ne'er had been; — 
Where ivy climbed the cedar, and the beech. 
And plum, and giiava, grew within his reach ; — 
Where mandarin, and papaw vied with tht;se 
As if, in rivalry, his taste to please; — 
Where mammees with the spicy citron grew, 
And ceibas spread their summits to the view. 
With wealth of green, on lofty stems, and strong. 
And from whose branches came some warbler's 

song : — 
Where oleanders, grouped together, bloomed, 
And with their petals, gay, the air perfumed ; — 
Where bread — the fruit — and cactus proffered food 
To all who wandered through this solitude. 
And where bananas — for a season born — * 
With purple buds, like poppies in the corn — 
Exposed their clusters to the blushing morn ; — 
Where palm-trees with their silvered stems arose, 
Their crowns beneath the heavens to expose ; — 
Where tow'ring pines were first to meet the sun — 
Each by its fringe of needles overrun — 
And the palmetto sought the shade to shun ; — 

* The banana is an annual. 



226 THE SOIVG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

Where aloes flourished in the leafy dells — 
With myrtles, jessamines, and chaparells ; 
Where shadows by magnolias were thrown — 
Each one a graceful figure, viewed alone — 
Their blossoms of a white and yellow hue — 
Their leaves dark green, and smooth and glossy, 

too — 
Contrasting with the pomegranate's red, 
On which, with sweetness, humming-birds were fed; 
Where, chestnut-like, tiie mango-tree was seen, 
Its leafy masses touched with golden sheen. 
And buds, with dyes of orange, purple, green ; — 
Where the sapota bore its russet load, 
And calabashes pendent globelets showed ; — 
Where droojDing tamarinds, their pods revealed, 
And in their branches paroquets concealed. 
While, here and there, the mournful cypress threw 
A frown upon the landscape, where it grew ; — 
Where the convolvulus, with flowers, white. 
Made lifeless trunks — once forest monarchs — 

bright. 
And petas and fantastic orchids bloomed 
On mammoth date and fig trees — thus fore- 
doomed ; — 
Where, dancing in the wind, rich blossoms flamed. 
And, laughing in the sunlight, they proclaimed 
The gladness of the bland, prolific clime. 
Which knew no season, but the summer-time ; — 
Where reeds, their graceful heads, in thickets, bent. 
And apple-roses filled the air with scent ; — 
Where mangroves, white, their chalices displayed, 
And mangoes in their glory were arrayed, 
While gaudy birds, and drowsy insects played 
Among the flowers in the leafy glade ; — 
Where gorgeous tints the undergrowth bedecked, 
And water-lilies, ponds and rivers flecked ; — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 



227 



Where Nature revelled in her richest hues, 
And man was free her varied gifts to use ;— 
Where parrots chattered, idly, all the day, 
And monkeys gambolled in their sportive play ;— 
Where roamed, awide, the red and dappled deer, 
And fish disported in the waters clear ;— 
Where night was lustrous, with a light divine ;— 
Where else could moon, and stars, so brightly 

And'whh such lights, and shadows, drape the land, 
And make the prospect so superbly grand ? 
Where tall flamingoes— bright with scarlet— flew. 
And golden orioles were prone to sue 
For ironey where the honeysuckles grew; — 
Where mocking-birds, in melody, were heard 
And cardinals their music, piped, and whirred. 
While scenes of wild enchantment seemed to lie 
Before the rapt, amazed, and wand'nng eye. 
Alas ' that war e'er ravaged such a scene. 
Where all, but man, was peaceful and serene. 

XXXV. 

Alone, afoot, he travelled fifty leagues, 

Undaunted by his perils, and fatigues. 

Through forests, wild, and over mountains, vast, 

He bravely on his journey swiftly passed, 

And reached Ovando's warlike camp at last. 

All wondered at such daring enterprise. 

And looked on Mendez with unfeigned surprise. 

" I come," said he, " my comrades, wrecked, to^save ! 

Jamaica's isle may soon become their grave ! 

Ovando's greeting proved exceeding kind, 

As if to win his hearer he designed. 

He much deplored the squadron's hapless end, 

And promised to Columbus aid to send; 



228 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But clays, and weeks, and months passed slowly by- 
While Mendez o'er his comrades oft would sigh — 
And still no ship to save Columbus sailed. 
To keep his word Ovando basely failed, 
And in delay his pleasure seemed to find — 
Hate in his breast, and envy in his mind — 
While Mendez still petitioned at his side, 
Yet all in vain to help his comrades tried. 
To San Domingo he would fain have gone — 
For sixty leagues to him were all as one — 
Had not Ovando his consent declined, 
Nor for his course a reason e'er assigned. 
At length he said to Mendez — " You are free . 
To journey, as you will, to reach the sea," 
And Mendez on to San Domingo strode, 
Though rugged mountains lay along the road, 
And angry natives lurked, and wandered there. 
His errand, not the danger, was his care. 
Six months, and more, in pleading he had spent, 
And, now, resolved that succor should be sent. 

XXXVI. 

Inaction tired Ovando in the end. 
And hard he found it malice to defend. 
Nigh eight long, weary months had ebbed away, 
And still the shipwrecked crews neglected lay. 
So he dispatched a ship to spy the shore : — 
Thus much to do, and then return-:— no more, 
A pardoned rebel o'er her in command. 
Whose orders were on no pretence to land. 
Ovando's mind by war was much engrossed, 
But he — in secret — hoped Jamaica's coast 
Would to Columbus prove a final bourn, 
Where he might die, from home, and country torn, 
And of his greatness, by misfortune shorn — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 229 

The while pretenclhig to revere his name, 
And take delioht in his unrivalled fame. 



XXXVII. 

Time wore away on lone Jamaica's shore, 
While anxious eyes the ocean wandered o'er, 
But naught — except its waters — met the view. 
No sail was seen, no speeding war-canoe, 
And some to hope of succor bade adieu. 
In mind, and body, sick, Columbus lay. 
To mental pangs, and fleshly pains, a prey. 
While fell disease around him havoc wrought. 
And days, and nights, but care, and sorrow, 

brought. 
Thus discontent was fostered more and more, 
And some, in wrath, to liee Columbus swore. 
And then, rebelling, fanned the flame of strife, 
While on the wreck he led a stormy life. 

XXXVIII. 

Francisco Porras swaggered to the front. 

Prepared Columbus boldly to confront. 

He of a caravel had held command. 

But now aspired to lead a rebel band. 

He cried — " I journey — comrades — to Castile ! 

Why suffer woe when we can flee to weal ? 

Let all who wish for freedom with me come, 

But those who tarry rest forever dumb ! 

'Tis not for us to linger here to die 

While we to lands evangelized can fly. 

And death to him — Columbus — if he strives 

To thwart us in this effort for our lives. 

Are we to be dependent on his pains .'' 

Are his infirmities to be our chains ? 



230 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Ah ! no, the ocean summons us away. 

'Twould folly be another day to stay. 

To hope for Mendez to return is vain. 

Columbus careth not to visit Spain, 

So crippled here we'll let the dog remain. 

Has he not brought misfortune on us all, 

And horrors that both harrow, and appall ? 

Why, then, should we obey the despot's call ? 

Ovando no relief will hither send, 

And here — perchance — his life will reach its end. 

This forest food on which we barely live. 

The health and strength of manhood cannot give, 

Although such diet well the savage suits. 

We were not born to vegetate on fruits. 

Castile will greet us with extended arms, 

And Seville will reveal again her charms. 

Fonseca, and his Majesty, the King, 

Our praises — not our punishment — will sing. 

We've ten canoes and ample stores beside. 

Don Christoval already we've defied. 

All who would join us must at once decide ! " 

Then fiercely he advanced upon his chief. 

And called him of their liberties the thief, 

Though by that chief befriended oftentime. 

Thus Porras added insolence to crime. 

Columbus in his cabin on the wreck 
Lay sick, and sad, when at their leader's beck 
The mutineers advanced along the deck. 
With brandished arms, his name the knaves de- 
famed. 
And toward him some would e'en have missiles aimed. 
But, then, Bartholomew Columbus rose. 
And bade defiance to his brother's foes. 
And threatened vengeance on the mutineers, 
Who'd yet repent in blood if not in tears. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEIV WORLD, zy. 

Awed by his boldness on the side of Right 

They shrank abashed, regardless of their might, 

And with their plunder — forty-eight were they — 

In war-canoes were swiftly borne away. 

" Perfidious Spaniards," cried Bartholomew. 

" Erelong ye'll all this base desertion rue ! " 

But few except the sick were left behind, 

And to their fortunes these were ill resigned, 

For death seemed nearer now than e'er before, 

And some despaired of rescue evermore. 

'Twas then, Columbus in their midst appeared, 

And drooping hearts with words of comfort cheered. 

XXXIX. 

Along the isle the rebels eastward cruised 

And all the savage yielded they abused. 

And warned him of Columbus to beware, 

Who meditated only to ensnare. 

They put to sea, for Hayti's island bound, 

But Fortune on the desperadoes frowned. 

High winds, and waves assailed them on their 

way, 
And all, in fear of death, began to pray. 
And backward turned, each trembling with dismay. 
They in the ocean cast their native crews, 
Excepting those that guided the canoes. 
And league on league they swam with pleading 

eyes. 
And uttered, now and then, appealing cries. 
Till one by one they sank in Death's embrace. 
Eighteen thus perished of their noble race. 
Some in their dying moments grasped canoes, 
Reluctant still their ebbing lives to lose. 
But with their swords the Spaniards mangled these 
Till they were swept beneath the foaming seas. 



232 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

No stronger swimmers e'er were seen than they, 

But far away their native island lay. 

All save their arms the Spaniards flung away, 

So much they feared their shallow skiffs would 

sink. 
They felt themselves on Hell's appalling brink: 
But they were spared again to reach the isle, 
And by their actions prove their natures vile. 

XL. 

A month ashore, and winds again were fair, 
And bright the skies, and clear the balmy air. 
Once more they launched their skiffs upon the 

deep. 
Which seemed in summer indolence to sleep. 
And bidding to the land a long adieu, 
They vanished, in the distance, from the view : 
But winds that erst were gentle, wildly blew. 
And, as before, they hurried back to shore. 
And vowed they ne'er would tempt the ocean more. 
Then they Jamaica ravaged far and wide, 
And still Columbus recklessly defied. 
Despairing of escape to other lands, 
In ruthless deeds they joined unholy hands. 

XLI. 

Still on the wreck Columbus passed his days. 
Subsisting on the scanty fruits, and maize, 
Which to the camp were novi?, but seldom brought. 
Though as before, with trinkets these were bought. 
He famine saw approaching by degrees. 
And all his comrades fell but ill at ease. 
The natives wearied of his lengthy stay. 
And asked him, more than once, to sail away, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. zii 

But he besought them ne'er to prove unkuid, 

For they in him a friend would ever find — 

And told them of the God who reigned on high, 

And ruled the sun, and planets in the sk}' ; — 

A God who on their course began to frown. 

And could, whene'er He willed it, cut them down. 

Fire, pestilence and famine he would send 

If they refused before His throne to bend, 

Or failed with food His servants to supply. 

That very night the moon her light would hide, 

If they, to them, whate'er they had denied — 

A prelude to the terrors of His rage, 

A wrath, once kindled, they might ne'er assuage. 

That night he knew, the moon's eclipse was due. 

But kept his knowledge from their mental view. 

Some o'er this grave prediction fear expressed. 

But more — derisive — deemed it all a jest. 

Yet all awaited, anxiously, the night. 

The full moon burst in splendor on their sight. 

And when they saw a shadow o'er it steal. 

Which threatened soon its lustre to conceal — 

While sea, and land, alike, in darkness lay — 

They shuddered with pulsations of dismay ; 

And felt Columbus great indeed in might. 

Who thus could move the moon to hide its light. 

Mysterious Nature filled them with affright; 

And rushing to Columbus, bearing food — 

As if by demons of the night pursued — 

They prayed him to avert their threatened doom, 

And let the moon again the earth illume. 

Their howls, and supplications rent the air, 

And cries arose that savored of despair, 

For as the darkness o'er them deeper grew 

The louder, in their terror, they would sue. , 

They promised all Columbus could desire, 

And ne'er again of bringing food to tire. 



234 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

At length, when the eclipse was nearly o'er, 

Columbus went among them on the shore, 

And said — " If ye but vow to sin no more 

The great Creator will forgive ye all. 

But woe to ye if ere from grace ye fall. 

He bids the moon again with light to shine. 

In her of Mercy mark the sign Divine ! " 

Then slowly as they gazed the darkness fled, 

And o'er the earth the moon her lustre shed, 

And with the obscuration vanished dread. 

In awe they thanked Columbus for his aid, 

And pledges, here, of daily tribute made. 

No more the camp of famine lived in fear. 

The wilKng natives brought the best of cheer. 

And seemed Columbus, humbly, to revere. 

The stratagem so witty, yet so wise. 

Brought tears of gladness to his comrades' eyes, 

And changed, perchance, the fate for all in 

store 
On that delightful but barbaric shore. 

XLII. 

Eight long, and weary months had passed away. 
And oft, for help, Columbus knelt to pray : 
But still no tidings came from o'er the sea. — ■ 
He feared that Mendez, more, he ne'er would 

see, 
That he, so faithful, so resolved, and brave, 
In ocean found a vanquished hero's grave. 
What, now, to cheer his lonely lot remained.'' 
What fate had God for him, and his, ordained .'' 
What, now, was left to feed the flame of hope ? 
In hopeless gloom he seemed at times to grope ; 
But, though his heart with sorrow felt oppressed, 
Still hope returned, anew to warm his breast. 



OK THE STORY OF THE iVElV WORLD. 235 

Though Fortune proved capricious, and unkind. 

He yet in God could consolation find. 

Who knew but He all this for good designed ? 

Fresh discontents among his crews were rife, 

And threatened, soon, to culminate in strife. 

At length one eve a swelling sail was seen. 

Touched with the sinking sun's caressing sheen. 

A shout of joy arose from both the wrecks. 

And all on board gazed wildly from the decks. 

" At last ! — at last ! — comes Mendez ! " was the cry. 

"We're saved! we're saved! Jamaica, now, good- 

by! 
Thank Father, Son and Holy Ghost, on High!" 
And men embraced each other in their joy, 
And prayed aloud, and shouted — " Ship ahoy ! " 
And in their gladness wept, and laughed, and sung", 
While old men felt the ardor of the young, 
And frenzy seemed to mingle with their bliss. 
" How great," they cried, " a happiness is this ! 
Adieu ! Jamaica's shores — again adieu !" 
No bounds their transports in those moments knew. 
" A boat ! — a boat ! " and from the vessel's side — 
With rowers manned — a skiff was seen to glide. 
All eyes were strained to scan the faces there, 
To find Fiesco, dark, and Mendez, fair. 
But all in vain they searched the boat for these. 
Yet Escobar * was seated there at ease. 

Columbus strove to hide his great chagrin. 
For Escobar had once a rebel been — 
Of Roldan's band a leader long before — 
Who for Columbus only hatred bore — 
One who had been condemned by him to die. 
And dangle from a fortress gibbet, high, 

* Diego de Escobar, the captain of ihe caravel. 



236 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

But who was set by Bobadilla free. 

It pained him, here, so great a foe to see. 

An omen bad was this from o'er the sea. 

When Escobar drew near the stranded wrecks 

He seemed to strive Columbus still to vex. 

And toward him from Ovando letters threw ; 

Then, in his boat some paces back withdrew, 

And thus addressed his former chief aloud : — 

" Senor, to step ashore I'm not allowed, 

Nor have I come to bear your crews away. 

Ovando much regrets this long delay, 

And o'er your great misfortune feels concern. 

And more than Mendez told, from you would learn. 

No ship, till now, to hither send had he. 

Nor one as yet can take you o'er the sea. 

For mine is small, and larger craft you need : 

But when a fitting vessel comes from Spain 

He'll for your service gladly that retain. 

And send it freighted to Jamaica's shore, 

And trust he'll meet you with your troubles o'er. 

He bids me say in Hayti all is well. 

And he has battled long revolt to quell. 

If, in reply, you've aught to him to write 

Pray write at once, for I return to-night. 

Ovando sends as gift to thee, and thine 

A flitch of bacon, and a cask of wine ! " 

Such paltry gifts to men by want oppressed. 

But mocked distress, and turned their woes to jest. 

' Twas cruel, too, to hither send a bark, 

And, then refuse to let a soul embark. 

To tantalize Ovando surely meant, 

Or ne'er he'd thus a caravel have sent. 

But in reply, in haste, Columbus wrote, 

And threw his message in the waiting boat. 

Therein he told his peril, and his needs ; — 

Of Porras, and his comrades' evil deeds ; 



OK THE STORY OF THE A'EW WORLD. 237 

And prayed (hat speedy succor miglit arrive. 
Till then against his troubles he would strive. 
He asked for Mendez, and Fiesco, grace, 
And felt a tear upon his furrowed face. 
The boat rejoined the waiting caravel, 
Whose sails, again the breeze began to swell, 
And, in the dying day's declining light. 
She eastward sailed, and, soon, was lost to sight. 

XLIII. 

Dejection, consternation and surprise. 

Were pictured in the shipwrecked Spaniards' eyes. 

" Why left us thus," they asked, " the caravel ? " 

Columbus sought suspicion to dispel, 

And hid the truth, and said that all was well, 

And, soon, a ship would bear them all away. 

Till which — their faithful friend — he'd with them 

stay ; 
For danger in their rising anger lay, 
And fresh revolt might lead to — who could say ? 
His words of cheer fell soft as healing balm. 
And stormy signs subsided into calm. 
While, in the sense that all their wants were known, 
The star of Hope, again, with lustre shone. 
The plotted insurrection died unborn. 
Though dark the night, beyond it lay the morn. 

XLIV. 

The paths of peace Columbus loved to tread, 
And felt of strife a more than Christian dread ; 
And hard, and long, he'd coped with Indian braves, 
And harder still with Andalusian knaves. 
To shield from bloodshed, and disastrous ends, 
And turn his foes, whene'er he could, to friends. 



23S THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The rebels slill, with Porras in command — 

A reckless horde — were prowling o'er the land. 

And these he, now, by mercy, sought to win, 

Though they were steeped in enmity, and sin. 

Yet some, he knew, were tired of lawless life, 

And longed for peace instead of anxious strife. 

He sent to tell them of the caravel, 

And how all, now, bade fair to prosper well, 

And offered, freel}', pardon, for the past ; 

But Porras, and his comrades, knew their crimes, 

For they had been offenders oftentimes, 

And, evil in themselves, distrusted him. 

They saw a snare, or at the best a whim. 

The proffered boon the reckless Porras spurned, 

And, speaking thus, he to his fellows turned : — 

" A trick I a trick ! No caravel, I ween, 

Has here, from Hayti, since the wreck been seen. 

Behold, Columbus fears us more and more, 

And plots our capture, eager after gore ; 

But we of him a captive, soon, will make. 

And from the ships whate'er he has we'll take. 

Come, let us march, and quickly, to the 6.fiQ(\ ! 

Not more success does courage win than speed." 



This bold and base design Columbus knew 

Before the rebel gang appeared in view. 

But too infirm himself to take the field. 

He sent his brother there his sword to wield, 

Yet first to strive to win them from their course, 

And only when compelled, resort to force : 

And with him fifty of his bravest went — 

Men skilled in arms, who knew what battle meant. 

Though few but showed disease had left ihem 

weak, 
And with its pallor blanched the sunken cheek ; 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 239 

But they were strong in spirit, and in pride, 

And had the cause of justice on their side. 

Erelong the rebel group appeared in view 

When peace was proffered by Bartholomew, 

But Porras spurned the offer thus renewed, 

And to his men — with brandished sword — hallooed. 

The rascals rushed in fury, to attack, 

But from their foemen, soon, fell reeling back, 

While swords, and lances, in the battle flashed, 

And wildly in the mortal struggle clashed. 

Five lifeless rebels lay upon the plain. 

But not a single patriot was slain. 

Six desperadoes fought Bartholomew, 

And all of these he either maimed, or slew. 

Then Porras cleft his buckler with his sword. 

And so the hand that held it deeply gored. 

But, like a wedge, the shield retained the blade. 

Bartholomew was quick to cry for aid. 

And grappling Porras, threw the traitor low. 

A moment more his captive was the foe. 

The rebels, thus without a leader left. 

Of all their transient courage seemed bereft, 

And in confusion from the victors fled 

Like men in panic overwhelmed with dread. 

The natives, armed, and warlike in their guise, 

Looked on, the while, in horrified surprise, 

But though disposed around in war's array, 

No blow they struck, nor sided in the fray ; 

Yet when they saw the bloody battle o'er — 

And while their ej'es a look of wonder wore — 

They came to gaze, like ghouls, upon the dead, 

And trod the ground with soft, and stealthy tread. 

The beings they had once immortal deemed — 

So much unlike all other men they seemed — 

They saw were only mortal e'en as they. 

They scanned their wounds, and weapons as they lay. 



240 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And marvelled why the Spaniards, Spaniards slew. 
What evil spirit led them so to do ? 



XLV. 

Bartholomew, triumphant, left the scene, 

His captives feeling terror, and shagreen,* 

And with his comrades reached, again, the shore, 

And thanked the Lord, the work of blood was o'er. 

lliere blessings from Columbus met his ears. 

And in their greeting both were moved to tears. 

The rebel crew, discomfited, forlorn — 

Who promised to be faiUiful evermore— 

For peace petitioned on the morrow's morn, 

Lamenting all their wickedness of yore — 

The wrongs that they, in penitence, confessed. 

Columbus even these in pity blessed, 

For he was still magnanimous to foes, 

And, hating strife, delighted in repose. 

Thus — saving Porras — all forgiveness won ; 

But he for all the evil he had done 

Was placed in bondage, there his course to rue. 

Thus o'er the False triumphant was the True. 

XLVL 

A year had passed since Mendez left the isle. 
Despair with Hope contending oft the while. 
When lo ! two ships, one morning, hove in sight, 
And filled the crews, again with wild delight. 
From Diego Mendez one, with succor, came, 
The other from Ovando, forced by shame, 



*This word may be used according to Noah Webster as the 
equivalent of chagrin. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 241 

For even those Columbus deemed his foes, 
In indignation toward his rival rose. 

On board the ships, Columbus led the way, 

And, as he raised his banner, knelt to pray, 

While all who followed, like him, kneeling bowed. 

And uttered thanks, in gratitude, aloud. 

The vessels spread their canvas to the breeze. 

And rose, and fell, with undulating seas. 

Columbus waved the islanders adieu, 

And parted as from comrades, tried, and true. 

The mountains in the distance, grand, and blue, 

Reflected from the sky its brighter hue ; 

The palm-trees dwindled slowly from the view, 

And less, and less, distinct became the shore. 

Erelong to pass from sight for evermore. 

By adverse winds, and ruffling currents foiled, 

The caravels toward San Domingo toiled. 

And five, and forty, days had passed away 

Ere Hayti's form before Columbus lay. 

All beamed with joy, and prayed, and loudly clieered. 

When that bright island's splendid shores appeared. 

They came as if emerging from the grave. 

And hearty welcome San Domingo gave. 

Columbus found that envy, now, was dumb. 

And ancient foes had eager friends become. 

Thus what success had lost, misfortune won. 

And all remembered noble deeds he'd done, 

Forgiving him his glory and renown. 

And weaving sprigs of laurel for his crown. 

Ovando joined the chorus in his praise. 

And eager seemed to deck him, too, with bays. 

He welcomed him with brotherly embrace. 

And uttered vows of friendship to his face, 



242 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

And took him to his palace to sojourn, 

While feigning gladness o'er his safe return ; 

Yet secretly, Ovando cherished hate, 

And strove but bitter feelings to create. 

He feared the sway he would himself retain 

Columbus might — alack-a-day — regain. 

Yet though so much he pledged himself a friend, 

He showed a jealous leaning to contend, 

And set from bondage guilty Porras free. 

" I claim," said he, " to rule the ocean-sea, 

And all the isles are subject but to me. 

Know, then, I'll order Porras back to Spain, 

But he, from chains, may free the while, remain." 

Columbus saw the island wrapped in gloom, 

As solemn, and as sombre, as a tomb. 

Deep lines of desolation ploughed its face, 

And ruin he, where'er he turned, could trace, 

And few were left of its primeval race, 

Where they had lived in opulence, and ease. 

And swung in hammocks 'neath the spreading trees, 

While Nature — lavish — labored but to please. 

They yielded to oppression, and disease. 

Five mighty tribes had peopled all the land* 

Ere it was ravaged by the Stranger's hand. 

Yet, save some mournful remnants, here and there, 

That showed the signs of anguish and despair, 

And still remained in slavish bonds to toil — 

The white invaders' broken-hearted spoil, — 

All, all had vanished to the Spirit realm. 

Where Evil, Good no more could overwhelm. 

War, massacre, and famine had, alas ! 

Mowed down a nation as the scythe the grass. 

And regions where they'd loved, in peace, to dwell, 

Seemed changed from blissful paradise to hell. 

* Namely, those of Higuey, Xaragua, Cigua, Cibao, and the 
Vega. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 243 

The gardens and the villages of yore, 

The blooming valley beautified no more. 

The Vega's splendid levels ran to waste, 

Where once the land the hand of culture graced. 

No more it smiled with waving fields of maize — 

A golden sea in bright Apollo's rays. 

The isle was seared by fierce Invasion's blight, 

And hopeless woe had banished wild delight. 

Like deer the Aborigines were slain — 

The victims of the tyranny of Spain — 

By human fiends, and bloodhounds, hunted down 

Till on the Spaniard Mercy seemed to frown. 

All Hayti cursed Ovando's name aloud. 

For he had wrapped it in a bloody shroud. 

XLVIJ. 

The savage in a Sovereign found a friend — 

One always prone to succor, and defend. 

And prompt to shield the weak against the strong. 

One moved to pity by a tale of wrong. 

Whose boast was mercy, dreading only shame — 

The Spanish queen of fair, unsullied, fame. 

When first Columbus sent him forth a slave. 

His freedom, to the Wand'rer back she gave, 

Once more, at will, his native isle to roam, 

Though this had lost its ancient charm of home. 

When Bobadilla made him work the mines, 

And favored ev'ry miscreant's designs — 

And as a beast of burden saw him toil — _ 

Her heart was quick, with horror, to recoil, 

And in her indignation she exclaimed — 

" Spain feels of Bobadilla's acts ashamed ! " 

And then, his freedom from the yoke proclaimed. 

These tidings bore Ovando to the West, 

And gladdened, for awhile, the sore oppressed, 



244 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

But murmurs rose from all the Spanish throng, 
Who cried — " In freeing him you do us wrong. 
He ne'er will labor, saving when coerced, 
Nor in the Faith, when free, can he be versed ! " 
This struck the key-note of the Sovereign's mind, 
Who, though not less in feeling, toward him kind, 
Instruction sanctioned in the Christian creed. 
To whatsoe'er was right the Queen agreed, 
His good alone to be Ovando's guide ; 
His needs to be with patient zeal supplied, 
And naught but evil e'er to him denied. 
Empowered thus Ovando stretched the bow, 
And shot the dart that carried endless woe. 
Among the Spaniards he bestowed the race. 
Through them to seek the means of Christian grace ; 
For them to labor for their earthly good, 
And in return receive the paltry mite 
That gave their tyrants to their toil a right. 
For tyrants they — the Spaniards — were, indeed. 
Whose lash was cruel, and whose god was Greed. 
Ovando, while pretending only good, 
Made traffic of the island's flesh, and blood. 
Each one became, beneath the yoke, a slave, 
And prematurely hastened to the grave. 
From wives, and children, braves were forced to part, 
And journey to the mountains, sick at heart, 
There, in the mines, to play their slavish part. 
And writhe beneath the whip's correcting smart. 
Exacting labors, and but scanty food, 
Turned vigor into weary lassitude ; 
And if the victims fled, to freedom gain 
From toil incessant, and inflicted pain, 
Their brutal keepers hunted them with speed. 
And scourged them till they made their bodies bleed, 
Then loaded them — revoltingly — with chains : — 
And all to swell their aggregate of gains — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 245 

To gratify an avaricious thirst. 

Well Las Casas might deem such hounds accursed. 

Too many vvliile they labored sank to die, 

Or slaughtered fell, as they essayed to fly ; 

And those who lived their term of labor through,* 

Oft little more, except to die, could do. 

Their homes, perchance, were eighty leagues away, 

And they had naught to nourish by the way. 

Save roots, or agi, or cassava bread. 

The lengthy journey filled their minds with dread. 

And ere 'twas o'er some slept among the dead — 

Reclining in the shade of spreading trees — 

Or where a brook went babbling to the seas — 

Or, hid away in some secluded nook — 

Or, by the road, with starved, imploring look. 

Death seemed, itself, the tyrants to rebuke. 

I'hose who survived to reach their homes at last, 

Before deserted places stood aghast — 

Their country ravaged by unholy hands : 

Their wives, and children, fled to other lands. 

Or numbered with the host that went before — 

Whose journey to the Spirit World was o'er, — 

Their fields, neglected, and with weeds o'errun, 

Where harvests once had ripened in the sun. 

What, then, was left them, save to sink and die, 

With none to succor, but with famine nigh. 

Despairing, and exhausted as they were t 

They found, in desolation, anguish there. 

Some, racked by torture, cut life's slender thread, 

And from a world of woe, and warfare, fled ; 

While women, in their grief, their infants slew, 

And wild with frenzy, born of trouble, grew. 



* The term of labor was at first six but afterwards eight 
months in the year, and the wages were so small as to be 
almost nominal. 



246 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS 



XLVIII. 

Before, in sinking ships — to sail no more — 

Columbus reached Jamaica's sunny shore,* 

Now ihat the chief of Zaragwa was clead,t 

Fair Anacoona ruled it in his stead — 

The sister he had cherished all his days. 

And wearied ne'er of speaking in her praise ; — 

The widow of Ca-on-a-bo, the brd\'e. 

Who chained, and shackled, found a wat'ry 

grave — 
The mother of Guevara's hapless bride ; — 
A righteous ruler, and her country's pride. 
A plot was whispered in Ovando's ear, 
Who half in indignation, half in fear. 
Resolved to strike an unexpected blow, 
And fill the plains of Zaragwa with woe, 
The story false, perchance believing true, 
But eager, still, Satanic work to do. 
Four hundred men he summoned to his side : — 
" To Zaragwa," said he " I'll be your guide ! " 
The troops, afoot, were full three hundred strong. 
The cavalry for carnage seemed to long, 
Each with his bright cuirass, his lance, and shiekl, 
And all in order for the battle-field ; 
The infantry with arquebuse, and sword, 
And cross-bow, hanging with the water gourd. 
Ovando sent a message to the Queen, — 
From fear of strife the native mind to wean,^- 
And told her he approached her as a friend, 
And wished all bitter feelings at an end. 

* In 1503. 

t Behechio, the brother of Anacoona, otherwise written 
Anacaona, the latter being the widow of the chief Caonabo, 
and mother of Guevara's bride Higuenamola. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 247 

None more than Anacoona strife abhorred, 

Nor would she e'er with Spanish steel have 

warred, 
So unsuspicious of her pending fate, 
She on her coming guest prepared to wait, 
With all the pomp befitting her estate, 
And gathered all the leaders of her land, 
Determined on a welcome, warm, and grand. 
As friends not foes they'd Don Ovando meet, 
Forgetting they'd been crushed with iron feet. 
All hailed the Spaniards with their thrilling songs, 
And surged around them in applauding throngs. 
While comely damsels strewed their path with bays, 
And danced before them with bewitching ways. 
By skilful hands the native games were played. 
And in their honor merriment was made. 
Before Ovando Anocoona bowed, 
And told her friendship to his face aloud, 
While all the best her savage realm supplied, 
She freely gave, nor aught he wished denied. 
Her daughter, too— Guevara's bride — was there, 
And, like her mother, still surpassing fair, 
Lent grace and beauty to the native throne. 
None fairer in the isle, than these, were known. 
The revels of the people lasted days, 
And they, the while, but spoke the Spaniard's praise. 
At length the Sabbath came — a gala day : 
The troops were, then, a joust with reeds to play, 
And all assembled to behold the tilt, 
Ne'er dreaming of Ovando's brooding guilt. 
Ovando's house looked out upon the square, 
And all the native chiefs were gathered there, 
While dusky forms were massed upon the ground, 
And horses pranced, and curvetted around. 
Ovando from a game of quoits advanced. 
And o'er the field, with eye observant, glanced, 



248 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And, seeing all his orders were obeyed, 

The fatal signal — preconcerted — made. 

A trumpet's blast the slumb'ring echoes woke, 

And into panic all the gazers broke, 

For, suddenly, the horsemen charged the mass. 

And Massacre was rampant there, alas ! 

While all who in Ovando's house were found — 

Surrounded by the troops afoot — were bound, 

And then were tortured, treason to confess. 

And lie beneath the pressure of distress. 

Thus accusations were, by anguish, wrung 

From one who died with falsehood on his 

tongue. 
No plot was planned a single blow to strike, 
Or rob the Spaniards of a single life. 
Then, when the task of torture had been done. 
The work of devastation was begun. 
And burning brands the building wrapped in 

fire, 
And all within were left to there expire. 
Tied hand and foot they perished in the flame, 
While Don Ovando gloried in his shame. 
Full eighty-four caziques were burned alive 
Ere vanished in the smoke that human hive, 
And Anacoona's daughter with them died — 
The damsel who became Guevara's bride. 
The while the horsemen overran the field 
Inflicting death, nor quarter they would yield. 
The multitude, defenceless, mercy sought. 
But pleading eyes, alas! no mercy brought. 
The cruel dastards seemed to thirst for blood, 
And o'er the herbage ran the crimson flood. 
Not men alone were slaughtered as they fled, 
But women, and their cliildren, like them bled. 
And none of all the multitude were spared : 
One fate the old and young and sexes shared. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 249 

No bounds the fury of the Spaniards knew, 
Who, maddened by the carnage, wildly slew, 
Exclaiming " Glory to the Cross and Crown ! " 
The horsemen trod the naked masses down, 
And hacked with swords, and gashed them with their 

spears, 
While cries of anguish filled their callous ears. 
The wretch Ovando watched the havoc spread. 
Till all the field was reeking o'er with dead. 
Without a gleam of pity in his eye. 
He, with his victims, well deserved to die. 
Those who escaped the massacre were few, 
And found a refuge in a great canoe. 
Which bore them to an island leagues away. 
But when the Spaniards saw their paddles play, 
They followed to Guanbo in pursuit. 
And hunted man as man would hunt a brute. 
By horse, and foot, the country through was ranged — 
A region now — alas! — so sadly changed — 
And wheresoe'er the natives were descried — 
In caverns dark, or on the mountain's side — 
There they by Spanish steel, or bloodhounds, died. 
For six long months this bloody work was done — 
And fouler ne'er was wrought beneath the sun — 
Till Zaragwa — a paradise of yore — 
A blasted look of desolation wore. 
Well Las Casas might o'er its story weep. 
And feel his flesh, before its horrors, creep, 
For he'd a heart not wholly made of steel. 
Nor deemed that slaughter glorified Castile. 

XLIX. 

One from Ovando's house alone was spared, 
And she the tortures of the chiefs had shared. 
Queen Anacoona, by Ovando's will. 
To breathe her native air was sufifered still, 



250 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But like a dog, obedient to a chain, 

To San Domingo she was led by Spain, 

Then hanged as one deserving of her doom : — 

The Spaniards' friend, she perished in her bloom, 

Gu-o-ra, too, her nephew, like her died ; 

And earth with unoffending blood was dyed. 

Alas! the blighted, devastated land. 

Thus stricken by a cruel tyrant's hand ! 

With horror, and with mourning it was filled. 

And — saving Christians — ev'ry heart was thrilled. 



A little later,* and in Higwey, lo ! 

The natives groaned beneath appalling woe. 

Four sovereignties ere this were swept away, 

And this, the last, was speeding to decay, 

'Twas ruled by Co-ta-ban-a-ma, the brave, 

Who battle to his country's tyrants gave. 

Against the toil exacted by their foes 

His people — under cruel tortures — rose, 

Ovando, then, on awful vengeance bent, 

Four hundred troops to crush the country sent. 

And there the Red Men bravely fought the white, 

But yielded in the end to Spanish might, 

And to their wild retreats, defeated, fled. 

While in pursuit the angry Spaniards sped, 

And blood where'er they could — -rejoicing — shed. 

The mountains' deep recesses they explored. 

And all they found were slaughtered by the sword. 

The women, and the children, thus were slain — 

Their supplications to their foes in vain — 

But each cazique departed life in fire, 

To gratify the foe's revengeful ire, 

While gashed, and goaded on his burning pyre ; 

* In 1S04. Higwey is written Higuey by Irving. 



OK THE STOKY OF THE NEW WORLD. 251 

Save one— a woman— who, by hanging died, 

While lonured by the soldiers at her side. 

Saona's island, which adjacent lay, 

Became of these relentless troops the prey, 

And all abiding there were swept away. 

For of a thousand not a soul remained. _ 

Their Indian blood their native mountains stained. 

Those still surviving saw their failing strength. 

And sued for mercy, and for peace, at length, 

And all exactions promised to obey, 

Resigned to the invader's cruel sway. 

A transient peace succeeded to the strife, 

But outrage, and oppression, soon were rite, 

And Higwey in revolt arose, anew, 

And alf the Spaniards in the fortress slew. 

Still greater vengeance, then, Ovando swore, 

Resolving Higwey should rebel no more. 

Again the troops their evil work began. 

And all the mountain region overran. 

And Nature's face where'er ihey went detilecl 

With scenes of carnage, horrible, and wild. 

But bravely battled Higwey's bancled sons, 

To drive from their Pannonia the Huns, 

And beacon fires, where'er they ventured burned. 

The trodden worm had impotently turned, 

For how could naked hosts repel the sword ? 

Alas ' resistless was the armored horde. 

Yet love of country fired the Indian heart, 

And Indian courage barbed the feeble dart. 

The captives who were forced to serve as guides 

Leapt o'er the lofty precipice's sides, _ 

Thus aiming, with them, down to drag their foes, 

And death, to injure these, they boldly chose : 

* Pannonia, since called Hungary, was conquered by the 
Scythians— the Huns. 



252 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

And braves, with arrows rankling feather-deep— 
Which made their flesh with thrilling torture creep — 
Would pluck them out, and fling them fiercely back, 
Then fall, expiring, in the wild attack. 
The hands of those the Spaniards chose to spare. 
That they might threats of vengeance onward bear. 
Were from their bodies cut with burnished steel, 
And still they cried — " The Cross and fair Castile ! " 
They built their ghastly gibbets long, and low. 
That life, thereon, in ebbing might be slow ; 
Thirteen, together, once they hanged in line 
Commemorating thus a scene divine — 
The Christ, and twelve Apostles, they revered — 
And while suspended, these they cut, and speared. 
And lighting straw beneath them, kindled fire. 
And watched them writhe, and, one by one, expire. 
Delighting thus — like fiends — to agonize ; 
And with the looks of demons in their eyes: 
Not this alone, but horrors greater still. 
They aimed to torture, not alone to kill, 
Pretending to obey Jehovah's will. 
Perverted zeal scarce further e'er could go. 
Or blacker deeds from such a fountain flow. 

LI. 

The chief of Higwey from the mountains fled, 

And to Saona's rocky island sped. 

Expecting there to find a safe retreat. 

But at his heels the dogs of war were fleet, 

For thither went a Spanish caravel, 

Where Co-ta-ban-a-ma, a captive fell. 

Though — with his mighty strength — he battled well, 

For tall, and massive — of majestic build — 

And in the use of native weapons skilled. 

He struck with giant arm Titanic blows, 

And, as he fought, electrified his foes. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 253 

His wife, and children, tliere, were captured, too, 

And others to his fortunes bravely true, 

And these their captors, as they found them, slew. 

For him a pyre the Spaniards built of trees. 

And meant to watch him burning by degrees, 

But, thinking of Ovando, far away, 

Not thus, at length, resolved the chief to slay. 

On board the caravel they chained him down, 

And sent him so to San Domingo town, 

Where, by Ovando gibbeted, he died. 

His only crime that he his foes defied, 

And fought to guard, from these, his native soil. 

And save his people from oppressive toil. 

Thus died the last cazique of all his race — 

A hero grand in courage, and in grace, 

Yet branded as a traitor, doubly base : — 

The last of five great rulers of the land 

When first Columbus trod on Hayti's strand ! 

And of the tribes how^ few there now remained ! — • 

How few to tell of deeds their island stained ! 

These, now, in mute despair, submissive bowed, 

While over all hung horror like a shroud.* 

LH. 

With grief, the tragic tale Columbus heard, 
And felt his breast with deep emotions stirred, 
For he in Hayti took paternal pride. 
And o'er its fate in silent sorrow sighed. 
Though he its sons had shipped as slaves, of yore, 
He meant them well on Spain's converting shore. 
And hoped, e'er long, they'd rich, in grace, return, 
From whom their kinsmen might the gospel learn : 



* The population of Hayti, originally about a million, had 
dwindled twelve years after its discovery to less than a hun- 
dred thousand, and a few years later it became entirely extinct. 



254 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But hatred seemed to fire Ovando's heart: 
Athirst for blood, he played a brutal part, 
Nor felt compassion, pity, or remorse. 
And gloated like a vulture o'er a corse. 

LIII. 

The tidings, sad, were slow in reaching Spain, 
But Isabella's mind was filled with pain, 
When, by degrees, she learned the awful truth. 
It seemed to steal her still remaining youth. 
To touch her hair with lines of silver gray. 
And leave her to disease, and age, a prey. 
" Unjust Ovando I cruel as the grave, 
I deemed you once magnanimous, and brave," 
Apostrophized the sympathetic Queen, 
" But by your deeds your tyranny I've seen. 
You wantonly Columbus drove away, 
When, in distress, for shelter, he would stay, 
Nor heeded words of warning from his lips, 
But sent to sea, to perish, all your ships. 
You strove to cheat him of his golden due, 
When he was absent, seeking conquests new. 
And, now, ignoring all my strict commands. 
With native blood you stain these savage lands. 
And treat as slaves a people that were free ! 
Shame! shame! on you, Ovando, base at heart — 
For acting thus ferociously your part ! " 
Nor all the story, then, the Sovereign knew. 
Which, in the light of knowledge, blacker grew. 
Her horror o'er her indignation rose. 
And she, in tears, lamented Hayti's woes. 

LIV. 

Columbus sought Ovando's aid in vain, 

To wipe from Christian arms the shocking stain. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 255 

No mercy yet his callous heart had felt, 
Nor one regret for all the wrong he'd dealt. 
He, for himself, as vainly strove for Right. 
Unyielding still, Ovando shunned the light, 
And in the pain of others took delight, 
Columbus, then, to Hayti bade adieu. * 
The graceful palm-trees M'aved before his view, 
And soon his eye met naught but ocean's blue, 
As he pursued his vvat'ry way to Spain 
To strive his stolen honors to regain. 
But, soon, his ship dismasted he beheld, 
While in a squall the ocean round him swelled. 
One ship alone he, now, possessed, beside. 
And near him this was seen the waves to ride, 
His stalwart brother o'er it in command. 
Columbus gave a signal with his hand, 
And to that other bark his standard bore, 
And sent his own, thus crippled, back to shore. 
While he his eastward course continued still. 
And bowed in prayer, to His — Jehovah's — will. 
Again, erelong, he met with squalls, and gales, 
And masts were sprung, and split and rent were sails, 
While fierce Atlantic billows swept the deck. 
And seemed to hold their revels o'er a wreck. 
Two thousand miles, thus crippled, sailed his bark. 
The prospect all around him wild, and dark. 
While sick, and helpless — oft in prayer — he lay. 
Then land was seen one dull November day, 
And all before their Maker knelt to pray. 
With thankful hearts they reached the Spanish shore, 
Their shattered vessel's stormy voyage o'er. 
At San Lucar she anchored, rent, and torn, 
To all on board, indeed, a welcome bourne. f 

* He sailed from the port of San Domingo on the 12th of 
September, 1504, on his last voyage to Spain. 

t He arrived at San Lucar, in Spain, Nov. 7, 1504. 



PART VIII. 
L'Envoi. 

columbus dies in spain. 



Columbus longed for quietude, and rest, 

P'or pain and care his form and mind oppressed, 

And Seville seemed a haven of delight, 

A soothing spot, refreshing to the sight : 

So Seville wooed him to her warm embrace. 

And lighted, with her smiles, his haggard face, 

And softened all the sorrows he had borne : 

But he had speedy cause again to mourn. 

He found himself in penury at last, 

And with despondent eye reviewed the past. 

Since he, a captive, sailed from Hayti's shore — 

And with him naught away but fetters bore — 

The dues the crown had promised still to pay 

Neglected in the ravaged island lay. 

Nor to his purse ?l peso found its way. 

Ovando back the castillanos held. 

And Bobadilla, too, the gold withheld. 

Both aiming thus, by want, to grind him down, 

And leave him poor in pocket and renown. 

Columbus wrote the Sovereigns, in appeal, 

And asked them to contribute to his weal. 

And told how long, and well he'd served Castile, 

And how in Hayti all to ruin ran 

Beneath Ovando's desolating ban; 

And to the isle petitioned to return. 

There still for Spain to greater glory earn. 

And reap the honors, and rewards he'd won 

By all that in the vanished days he'd done : 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 257 

But only cold replies, that chilled his heart— 

And made him with a foiled ambition smart, 

And, in his drooping spirit, deeply groan— 

Came back, to mock his anguish, from the throne. 

He knew he'd active foes around the Court, 

Who pleasure took in sj^reading ill report, 

While guilty Porras, by Ovando freed, 

Of baseless slanders sowed abundant seed ; 

And others, too, among his rebel crew, 

In malice uttered stories as untrue, 

Though by his aid 'twas they returned to Spain. 

Bestowed was magnanimity in vain. 

They strove to brand his virtues with their crime, 

And serpent-like to smear him with their slime. 

To reach the court Columbus yearned, the while, 

To -thwart the machinations of the vile. 

And seek to win the Queen's approving smile : 

But fell disease this ardent wish denied, 

And o'er his lot the noble sailor sighed, 

While oft, in prayer, for help divine— he cried. 

sick, nigh to death. Queen Isabella lay. 
Columbus heard the tidings with dismay. 
And knelt beside his humble cot to pray. 
For four long months she'd sadly pined away— 
To deep domestic woes— alas — the prey. 
Amid the pomp and splendor of her reign, 
She lived in desolation, sorrow, pain, 
Oppressed by gloomy melancholic views 
That all things tinged with their depressing hues. 
Her son, a daughter, and her grandson-heir, _ 
Had passed from earth, and left her in despair, 
For she had loved them with a love sincere. 
And more than all beside, had held them dear. 
Save Ferdinand, to whom she fondly clung— 
As fondlv as in days when both were young ; 



258 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS ; 

For ne'er had man a sweeter, truer wife 

To bless, and grace, and glorif)^ his life — 

As pure as marble, and as chaste as snow, 

And in her breast Affection's quenchless glow. 

In tender sensibility of heart, 

She felt, too oft, of others' griefs a part, 

And of their woe the sympathetic smart ; 

And — grand in state, 'mid trophies of success — 

On pageantry she looked as nothingness. 

Humility of spirit was her charm. 

And, save for good, she ne'er inflicted harm. 

While like her love her piety was true, 

And, with her growth, in touching beauty, grew. 

II. 

A little later, and, alas ! alas ! 

The worst Columbus feared had come to pass. 

Queen Isabella of Castile was dead : — * 

Her soul to realms of bliss, eternal, fled. 

In sorrow, then, Columbus bowed his head, 

And all the nation sadly mourned her end, 

Each feeling, in his Queen, he'd lost a friend. 

On all the pomps and vanities of life — 

On all ambition and ignoble strife. 

Her eyes, ere this, had long been calmly closed, 

And in the Faith her trusting heart reposed ; 

And, now, in death her spirit seemed to soar — 

Predestined to exist for evermore — 

To lead a life eternal in the skies. 

And win the faithful Christian's priceless prize. 

But ere she died she murmured to the King — 

" Ere from the world, and thee, my way I wing, 

* She died on the 26th of November, 1504, aged fifty-four 
years. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 259 

Thy promise give, Ovando to recall, 

For he has spread disaster like a pall. 

He seems to lake delight in shedding blood — 

In working evil, and defeating good. 

His massacre at Zaragwa is vile, 

And how can God upon such horrors smile .-' 

Restore Columbus to his rightful place. 

And turn to Christ — O Ferdinand — for grace ! 

And may we two, who here have lived as one, 

Be reunited when from earth we've gone ; 

And let our bodies moulder side by side, 

And, in the future, naught our souls divide ! " 

Columbus wept, and mourned with mourning 

Spain, 
And felt his heart oppressed with grief, and pain. 
To her he'd looked for justice, and redress — 
For all he lacked to crown him with success, 
And now, like chaff, his hopes were swept away. 
In night was lost the promise of the day. 
And he was at the mercy of the King, 
This, this alone, might well his spirit wring. 
For Ferdinand was calculating, cold. 
And envied him his glory, and his gold, 
Witholding both his honors, and his wealth, 
And stripping him of dignity by stealth. 
Columbus mourned his Sovereign and his fate. 
Resolved to trust ni Providence, and wait. 

III. 

His fortunes met — alas ! — a crushing blow. 
The King, he knew, had always been his foe. 
Who, now, was left to plead his cause in Spain ? 
How — for his wrongs — redress was he to gain t 
Spain daily by his conquests richer grew, 
Yet failed to render Ccesar Caesar's due. 



26o THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

One tenth of all to him, by right, belonged. 
But out of this behold hini wholly wronged ! 
Not this alone but of his honors shorn, 
And, o'er his ruined fortunes, left to mourn. 
By sickness racked, and poverty oppressed, 
With disappointment rankling in his breast, 
He sighed, in vain, for opulence and rest. 

IV. 

In Seville, winter slowly passed away. 

And spring with blossoms made the gardens gay. 

Yet there Columbus still — a cripple — lay. 

He'd oft, the while, addressed the King of Spain, — 

His filched rewards, and honors to regain — 

But naught was sent to cheer him, in reply, 

Yox naught the King would promise, or deny ; 

And all for naught his friends' appeals were made. 

He saw the throne against his cause arrayed. 

At length, when orchards wore the bloom of May, 

He toward the Court pursued his lonely way — 

Decrepit, poor, and mounted on a mule — 

A hero who aspired a world to rule. 

Ah, what a change since he, in triumph, came, 

And reaped the laurels of his new-born fame, 

And through the streets of Barcelona passed. 

Where all the chivalry of Spain was massed. 

And heard its plaudits ringing in his ears ; 

And all within a few eventful years. 

A wayworn pilgrim, now, Columbus rode, 

And sad, neglected, reached the King's abode,' 

But, on the pilgrim, welcome none bestowed : — 

No kindly words were said his heart to cheer; 

No sympathetic ear prepared to hear. 

Professions fair, and frosty smiles, alone 

Were shed upon Columbus from the throne. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 261 

He told his tale, and pleaded well his cause- 
By Right supported, and the nation s laws— 
But slfght attention Ferdinand would lend, 
Though he displayed reluctance to offend. 
He sought, in cold evasion, long delay, 
Postponing justice till some distant day. 

Months in solicitations passed away, 

But all was unavaiUng he could say, 

And while he lingered, supplicating stiU, 

Disease his cup of sorrow_ came to hll 

And left him helpless-crippled— as before. 

His journey to the grave was nearly o er. 

He for himself petitioned, now, no more.^ 

His son— Don Diego— and his lawful heir, 

He wished the honors he had won to wear, 

And wisely rule the New World in his stead 

"For I," he murmured, "soon will join the 

dead."' ... 

But Ferdinand, the King, was still supine. 
Procrastination was his base design. 
Neglected, sliglUed, worn with toil and years, 
He"turned-despairing-from the Court in tears. 
Well in his saddened spirit he might groan 
O'er such injustice from the Spanish throne. 
But he had old in patient courage grown 
And bore with Christian grace, and manly front, 
Misfortune's— disappointment's— cruel brunt :— 

He who had brought but glory to Castile, 
\nd labored grandly for the nation s weal. 
Success to him had proved a bitter thing 
And deep within his breast he felt its sting. 
The world's ingratitude he knew was great, 
And jealous rivals bore him only hate ; 
But hard to bear was perfidy from Spain 
When he beheld how great had been her gain. 



262 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

She struck the New World's great explorer low, 
And left him racked by penury and woe. 

V. 

Hope on Columbus shed a transient ray, 

As on a couch of pain, he, dying, lay. 

Juana, Isabella's daughter — Queen, 

From Flanders came — with Philip* — on the scene 

To fill her vanished mother's vacant throne. 

The hero's eyes with expectation shone. 

Would Isabella's daughter prove his friend, 

And in his cause her aid to justice lend.? 

His sanguine nature answered "Yes" to this: — 

The very thought to him was budding bliss. 

He longed to welcome Philip, and his bride. 

And felt in Queen Juana tender pride. 

But sickness, like a tyrant, held him down. 

He wrote, in words of homage, to the Crown, 

Expressed his hopes, and promised fresh renown, 

And, with the letter, sent Bartholomew — 

A brother to his fortunes ever true. 

While Diego lingered at his father's side, 

And there to mitigate his anguish tried. 

The missive told the ardor of his mind, 

Which made him long yet other worlds to find. 

And masked approaching death with airy dreams — 

The ruling passion's incandescent gleams. 

'Twas but the flicker of a dying flame — 

The final sally of a noble aim — 

An aspiration to regain his fame. 

The King and Queen did honor to his name. 

And promised much he prayed them to bestow. 

Which made his brother's breast with pleasure glow, 

* King Philip and Queen Juana succeeded Isabella on the 
throne of Castile. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 263 

But ere he back the grateful tidings bore 
Cokuiibus — made immortal — was no more.* 
His spirit from the world had winged its way, 
Reluctant longer here below to stay, 
Impatient for the brighter realms on high. 
To which — when life is o'er — the righteous fly. 
Not yet howe'er Columbus would have died 
Had not Castile made shipwreck of his pride, 
And crushed his high ambition in the dust. 
And left him pleading vainly for a crust. 
In sacramental prayer he passed away, 
And dust alone before his watchers lay : 
But ere the vital spark from earth had fled, 
He turned to Diego, whisp'ring on his bed, 
And thus in falt'ring accents slowly said — • 
"Jehovah takes away the life he gave. 
And, now, behold me sinking to the grave ; 
But far beyond I see the shining sky, 
And Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, on High, 

* Columbus died at Valladolid May 20, 1506, his age at the 
time being about seventy years, though the date of his birth is 
uncertain. It is, however, supposed to have been in 1435- He 
was buried in the convent of St. Francisco, and his obsequies 
were celeljrated with great pomp in the parochial church of 
Santa Maria de la Antigua at Valladolid, but in f5i3 his re- 
mains were removed to the Carthusian monastery of Las Ceu- 
vas of Seville and deposited in the chapel of St. Ann or .Santo 
Christo, where, afterwards, were placed those of his son Diego, 
who died in the vilage of Montalban February 23, 7526. 

By order of King Ferdinand, whose jealousy had been ex- 
tinguished by his death, a marble monument was erected in 
his honor bearing the following epitajih — "a castilla Y a 
LEON NUEVO MONDO DIO COLON " which being translated 
reads thus — " To Castile and to Leon, Columbus gave a New 
World." In 1536 the bodies of Columbus and his son 
Diego were removed from this spot to a vault in the cathe- 
dral of the city of San Domingo, and finally, in December, 
1795, were removed to the Havana after Hayti had been 
ceded to France. 



264 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS', 

Where I shall be forevermore at rest, — 

A sharer in the mansions of the blest ; 

And may we there — with God's anointed — meet, 

And all the holy host of angels greet, 

And wear the wreath of glory we have won, 

For righteous deeds, and Christian duty done : 

But ere I go to everlasting bliss, 

Remember, Diego — dutifully — this — 

To place the chains that bound me, in my tomb, 

With me to crumble till the crack of doom. 

The guerdon of my grandest enterprise, 

My fortunes here they'll serve to emblemize : 

But though on earth I've lost a promised prize, 

I've gained through all eternity a crown : — 

And what, compared with this, is man's renown ? 

To Thee, O Lord, I, now, commend my soul ! 

I near, with flying speed, the Christian's goal, 

And see the heavenly host, at last, in view. 

Farewell ! my son ; — once more a long adieu ! " 

The tidings through the kingdom swiftly spread ; 

And all began to mourn the hero dead. 

His foe, the King, was quick regret to feign, 

And sorrowed with the masses o'er his end. 

"Alas ! " said he, " Castile has lost a friend ! " 

He who in life withheld his sacred right — 

Nor raised a hope to cheer his mental sight — 

Now laid, with honors, poor Columbus low, 

Amid the pomp, and pageantry of woe. 

No longer jealous of renown so great. 

He gave his body to the dust in state. 

And minute-guns through Valladolid boomed 

As he was there with royal rites entombed : 

But with his ashes lay the chains he wore 

From San Domingo to the Spanish shore. 

These told the story of his bright career, 

And mocked the gaudy trappings of his bier. 



OR THE STONY OF THE NEW WORLD. 265 

Years after, when his deeds had grander grown, 
As more and more of all he'd done was known, 
And when in Seville he was reinterred — 
While booming minute-guns again were heard — 
He placed his name in marble o'er his grave — 
"A New World to Castile, Columbus gave." 
He lavished empty praises o'er his corse. 
Yet felt not for ingratitude, remorse, 
But like the father, tried to cheat the son, 
Though Justice in the end the triumph won. 
Not yet at rest the hero's ashes lay. 
To San Domingo they were borne away ; 
And when to France the ceded island passed 
They to Havana's shore were sent at last. 
With pomp the sacred relics were conveyed. 
And dignitaries o'er them bent, and prayed. 
All Hayti uttered reverential praise ; 
All Cuba crowned Columbus — dead — with bays.* 
The Church in Masses, glorified his name ; 
The Army rendered honors to his fame. 
The Navy drooped its banners, as in woe ; 
And muffled drums were heard to music, slow, 
While minute-guns resounded through the air; 
And swinging censers shed their incense there ; 
And priests, and bishops — to the organ's strains — 
Their homage chanted o'er the urned remains ; 
And civic throngs the solemn pageant swelled — 
The grandest that the isles had e'er beheld. 

VI. 

At times to error prone like all mankind, 
But great of soul, and with poetic mind. 



* The remains, which were put on board a brigantine at 
San Domingo on the 20th of December, 1759, reached the Ha- 



266 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Columbus launched into a sea unknown^ 

And won Reflection's conquest — all his own, 

Through darkness sailing, eager after light 

Till lo ! the promised land appeared in sight, 

And Ignorance by Knowledge was reproved. 

While with an impulse, new, the world was moved. 

'Twas hardly strange delusions to him clung 

In days like those when Science was so young, 

And that he saw in rude barbaric wilds — 

With fervent faith, as simple as a child's — 

The scenes of ancient splendor and renown. 

Whose wondrous story Time has handed down. 

He loved not gold for paltry lucre's sake. 

But more complete his noble work to make. 

And penury — alas ! — too well he knew 

Would leave him helpless needed good to do. 

He strove his honor, and his rank to guard, 

And for his reputation labored hard, 

For this he held — like woman's virtue — dear, 

And deemed he filled a God-appointed sphere. 

'Twas sad that one who lofty triumphs gained. 

Could e'er with man's enslavement hands have stained, 

And doomed to bondage those who erst were free 

And gave him welcome warmly from the sea ; — 

Whose shores had kindled gladness in his eyes — 

The sparkling joy of fruitful enterprise ; — 

Sad, too, his mind was superstition-swayed, 

And tolerance, his bigotry forbade. 

Perverted zeal to persecution tends 

And noble aims may reach ignoble ends. 

His faults were few, and such as all discerned, 

And from the spirit of his age were learned, 

But these his sterling virtues well redeemed, 

While in his chastened features Mercy beamed. 

vana on the 15th of January 1791, and the same honors were 
paid to the memory of Columbus at both places. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 267 

Though quick to anger, and in impulse strong, 

He — uncomplaining — suffered many a wrong, 

Nor slowly those who wronged him he forgave. 

Magnanimous was he as well as brave. 

He saw new countries with a poet's eye, 

And in the realms of fancy oft would fly, 

The forest's verdure, and the fragrant air ; 

The face of Nature, ev'rywhere so fair; 

The grandeur of the mountains, looming high; 

The beauty of the bright, unruffled sky ; 

The splendor of the tall, majestic trees; 

The blandness of the soft, sweet, summer breeze ; 

The limpid freshness of the running streams ; 

The picturesque delights, like happy dreams — 

All filled his soul with admiration's glow, 

And quickened through his veins the vital flow. 

Though oft from error quick the truth to glean 

As wheat from chaff — with intuition keen. 

He yet was prone to visionary views. 

And fact in speculation, so, would lose. 

Thus to the last he — strangely — little knew 

That he had found a world both vast and new, 

And not a highway new to Asian shores. 

Where ancient mines still yielded up their ores. 

Had he but comprehended all he'd done — 

The grandeur of the triumph he had won — 

His heart had known a joy unknown before. 

And felt the flame of enterprise the more; 

While had he, then, futurity foreseen — 

The change that soon would mark the mighty scene 

And traced the New World's far-extending course 

From this its cradle, this its budding source — 

His spirit would have consolation reaped. 

And less have been in disappointment steeped. 

And gloried in the prospect he beheld. 

While pride and gladness, in his bosom swelled. 



268 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

But in the New World lives his splendid fame ; 

And though it — wrongly — bears another's name, 

His own will live throughout the course of tinie — 

A name we link with thoughts, and themes sublime. 

In Fame's inunortal temple he's enshrined. 

With fadeless laurels round his brows entwined ; 

And, though in death, he lives an endless life 

In realms historic, free from mortal strife, 

While Ferdinand's ingratitude remains 

The blackest of his country's damning stains. 

VII. 

Don Diego, worthy son of worthy sire, 

To right his father's wrongs might well aspire : 

But though he prayed the King, and oft with tears^ 

His supplications lasting weary years — 

To yield him what Castile Columbus owed. 

The crown to justice still aversion showed. 

Yet mark his cause victorious in the end ! 

May God the Right through all the world defend ! 

He'd pleaded long with zeal, and loving pride. 

From that sad day when he — his father — died, 

And finding vain, addresses to the King, 

A righteous suit, at length, resolved to bring : 

And all his father's rights, and titles claimed. 

And thankless Spain to tardy justice shamed. 

The law decreed what, long, the Court denied, 

And Diego, soon, Ovando's place supplied. 

And in his father's stead the Indies swayed — 

A cherished end for which Columbus prayed.* 

* Diego Columbus, who had been brought up as a page in 
the royal household, being the lineal successor of Columbus, 
urged upon King Ferdinand with fruitless diligence for two 
years after the death of his father, the restitution of his 
hereditary rights and jDrivileges. He then asked and received 
permission to pursue his claims in the ordinary course of law. 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 269 

The noblest of the noblemen of Spain — 

Who like a monarch seemed himself to reign — 

Bestowed his fairest daughter as his bride, 

And Fortune buoyed him on a golden tide, 

While royal splendors hedged his island throne, 

The like of which the New World ne'er had known. 

Though long the King performance, thus, delayed, 

The Sovereign's dying wish behold obeyed ! 

Triumphant over Wrong, at last was Right, 

And in the son the father won the fight. 

But life for him was not unclouded day. 

Nor free from troubles his exalted sway, 

For Faction strove to beat him — basely — down, 

And he was curbed unjustly by the Crown, 

Till weary of the ceaseless struggle grown, 

He died in Spain contending for his own; 

The suit was begun eaiiy in 1508, and extended over a long 
period. Meanwhile Diego had won the heart of Dona Maria, 
the daughter ot Fernando de Toledo, grand commander of 
Leon, and niece of the celebrated Duke of Alva, the chief 
favorite of the King, the father and uncle of the young lady 
being the most powerful of the grandees of Spain. Their in- 
fluence had much to do with the final result of the suit in 
favor of Diego, but the King even then merely ceded to him 
the dignities and powers of Ovando, withholding the title of 
Viceroy. Ovando was recalled not alone to make room for 
Diego, but in tardy fulfilment of Ferdinand's promise to Isa- 
bella, on her death-bed, to recall him. Diego was married, and 
embarked with his wife, from San Lucar on the 9th of June, 
1509. His brother Fernando, and his father's brothers, Bar- 
tholomew and Diego, also accompanied him, together with a 
numerous retinue of cavaliers, and ladies of rank. In Hayti 
Don Diego ruled in splendor before unknown in the New 
World, but like his father he was beset by factions, and the 
King — up to the time of his death in January, 1546 — in several 
ways endeavored to curtail his authority. In 1523 — Charles 
V. having .previously given him the hereditary title of Vice- 
roy — he was recalled, although not superseded, and in 1526 
he died near Toledo, worn out by following up his claims, 
and defending himself from the calumnies of his competitors. 



270 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

His son — succeeding — like his father ruled — 
A youth not yet in worldly wisdom schooled — 
Who for a dukedom sold his vast domain, 
And lived, and died, a pensioner of Spain, 
Nor left a son behind to bear his name. 
And share his honors and ancestral fame. 
His brother's son, awhile, his title bore. 
And then 'twas borne — his line extinct — no more. 
Contending claimants battled for the spoil 
Till Justice on the waters shed its oil. 
Thus swiftly passed the hero's race away, 
But ne'er his name — Columbus — can decay. 
He knows not death who thus remembered lives, 
And to his mem'ry Time new glory gives. 
While if on high he wears the Christian's crown. 
How doubly blest this hero of renown ! 



At the time of his death his wife and family, consisting of two 
sons and three daughters, were at San Domingo. The Vice- 
Queen — for such his wife had always been styled — struggled 
to maintain the rights of the family, and her eldest son I^ouis, 
then six years old, succeeded to the title of Admiral of the 
Indies, but was refused the title of Viceroy. He found his 
dignities and privileges sources of vexation, and finally 
entered into a com]3romise by which he gave uj) the Vice- 
royalty of the New World for the titles of Duke of Veragua and 
Marquis of Jamaica, and resigned his claims to a tenth of the 
produce of the discoveries of his grandfather — Columbus — for 
a pension of a thousand doubloons of gold. He died soon 
afterwards, and leaving no legitimate son, was succeeded by 
Diego, the son of his deceased brother Christopher, between 
whom and his cousin Philippa — daughter of the deceased son 
Louis — a litigation took place, which was settled by their 
uniting their fortunes in wedlock. He died without issue in 
1578, and the legitimate male line of Columbus thus became 
extinct. A memorable lawsuit now began for the estates 
and dignities descended from Columbus, wliich was not 
decided till 1608, when Don Nimo, the grandson of Isaljella, 
third daughter of Don Diego (the son of the discoverer) was 
declared Duke of Veragua. 



PART IX. 

THE SEQUEL TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE 
NEW WORLD BY COLUMBUS : 

AS SEEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 

I. A Centennial Ode, i 776-1876. — H. To Co- 
lumbia — THE Monument of Columbus. 
in. The Voice of the World's Columbian Ex- 
position AT Chicago, 1892. 

I. 

In this great land Columbus see 

The fruit of thy discovery. 

No grander work thou couldst have done, 

No greater glory could have won. 

Let all the sons of freedom rise, 

And sing a paean to the skies 

In honor of the hundredth 3'ear 

Of Independence all revere ; 

And let the great Centennial be 

A grand rejoicing of the free ! 

Let all Columbia's sons unite 

To testify Columbia's, might, 

And gather from their wide domain 

Whate'er can glorify her reign ! 

Let North and South, and East and West — 

Yea, all who've pressed her parent breast — 

Commemorate the natal day 

Which gave the great Republic sway — 



272 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS, 

The Fourth a hundred years ago — 

When Freedom struck her conqu'ring blow, 

And Washington to vict'ry led, 

While freemen for their country bled. 

Let banners fly from shore to shore. 

And cannon through the cities roar, 

And music fill the summer air. 

To celebrate the jubilee ! 

Let bunting wave o'er lake and sea. 

And hymns ascend, O God, to Thee ! 

In joyful praise and gratitude 

For benefactions oft renewed, 

And prayers that in the future vast 

The Nation may surpass the past ! 

Let North and South embrace in love, 

Invoking blessings from above 

On this their own united land, 

And by their flag forever stand. 

Let War no more between them frown 

To mar their progress and renown, 

And make the friends of freedom grieve. 

But Peace her garlands o'er them weave. 

And crown them with unfading bays 

Through all the Nation's coming days ! 

Let those who guide the helm of State 

The patriot fathers emulate. 

And when for honors statesmen strive 

May wisdom linked with virtue thrive! 

Let women play a noble part, 

And purify the Nation's heart, 

And plant in early youth the seeds 

Whose fruits will be but noble deeds ; 

And while they charm and beautify, 

May they exalt and deify, 

Nor e'er forget their high estate — 

To mold the future grand and great — 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 273 

And do their earthly work divine 
Obedient to the Lord's design ! 
Let art and science speed apace, 
As Trade and Commerce run their race, 
And wider spread from year to year. 
For all that beautities is dear ! 
Let poets sing Columbia's fame, 
And laurel her immortal name — 
The priestess sanctified by time, — 
And paint the glories of the clime. 
The riches of the teeming land. 
And all its deeds, and heroes grand ! 
Let every patriot, sire, and son 
Dwell proudly on its triumphs won, 
And glory in the course it's run 1 
And call on all the world to see 
The progress of the century, 
And with prophetic eyes survey 
The Fourth a hundred years away, 
When sire and son again will meet — 
And patriotic hearts will beat — 
To celebrate the glorious day — 
Eternal be its sway ! 

IL 

To Columbia — the Monument of Columbus. 

Queen of the Great Republic of the West, 
With shining stars and stripes upon thy breast — 
The emblems of our land of liberty : — 
Thou namesake of Columbus — hail to thee ! 
Again I bend, a lover at thy shrine. 
Again I hail thee as a thing divine. 
Thy hundred years, and more, have left thee young. 
Thou gracious Sovereign — thou from Freedom 
sprung — 



274 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

The friend of Right and valiant foe of Wrong, 

With virtues, like thy Constitution, strong; 

Nor lurk in thee the seeds of slow decay, 

Which germinating steal the strength away ! 

And fair and comely is thy form and face, 

And eloquent thy attitude of grace, 

While intellect and learning thou canst claim, 

And all that glorifies a noble name. 

In art and science thou art deeply schooled, 

And o'er our hearts by love alone hast ruled. 

While grandly in achievement thou hast shone, 

And boundless riches thou canst call thine own. 

But why repeat what through the world is 

known ? — 
The world that pays its homage to thy throne. 
Let me but add this chaplet to thy bays. 
And join the mighty chorus in thy praise, 
And prophesy for thee a lengthy reign 
Whose progress will but widen thy domain — 
A reign to — through tiie centuries — extend 
Till earth itself perchance doth reach its end — 
A reign with glory gilded evermore. 
What monarch e'er a crown so lustrous wore, 
Or, like to thee a mighty people swayed ? 
Ne'er may thy brow-encircling laurels fade, 
But fresh achievements keep thee in the van 
Where thou hast stood e'er since thy reign 

began. 

No fitter queen could now Columbus crown. 
Or voice to all the world his great renown. 
His fame in thee personified we see — 
The sequel of his grand discovery : 
Yea here, in thee, his monument behold. 
Whose splendor dims his golden dreams of 
old! 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 275 

And, standing by Chicago's inland sea, 
The nations of the earth will vie with thee 
In twining laurel wreaths for him of yore 
Who found the New World in San Salvador, 

Star-spangled goddess of the western world, 

Go greet Columbus with thy flag unfurled ! — 

E Phiribus Unum proudly blazoned there. 

No prouder banner ever waved in air, 

No grander motto banner ever bore. 

Raise high the flag, and let the legend soar ! 

E Pluribus Unjim — let it court the sky — 

For ever to the winds of heaven fly. 

All hail ! to thee, thou sovereign of the free. 

And reign thou on until eternity. 

All hail this grand Commemorative time 

Which marks an epoch and event sublime ! 

Columbia ! to Columbus give thy hand ! 

And, as ye on a sea of glory stand. 

The world will read anew the story grand 

Of thee Columbia, and Columbus, too — 

The matchless epic of the Old and New — 

The tale that grows more splendid with the years — 

The pride and wonder of the hemispheres. 

In vast magnificence it stands alone. 

With thee — Columbus greeting — on thy throne. 

III. 

Columbia thus I've fondly sung of thee. 
But not the less impassioned let me be 
As I go back four hundred years, and greet 
The brave Columbus and his Spanish fleet ; 
And grandly let us celebrate the day 
When first he anchored in a New World bay. 



276 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS; 

Hail to Columbus — endless be his fame. 

America now glorifies his name. 

And hail to thee America, all hail ! 

Thy glorious annals tell a wondrous tale. 

To 1492 — huzzah ! 

In 1892 — hurrah ! 

Nor ever, as the centuries go by, 

Will that great hero's name — Columbus — die. 

The nations gather at Chicago's shrine. 

And pilgrims journey thither, line on line, 

To render him the homage which is due. 

Behold, Columbus lives in 'Ninety-two. 

'Tis well the city by the inland sea 

Should celebrate this Anniversar}-, 

And voice Columbia's sentiment of praise, 

And crown — for her — the pioneer with bays. 

The World's Columbian Exposition hail ! 

It tells the world the New World's splendid tale ; 

And all the nations see assembled there 

Our celebration, hand in hand, to share ! 

United States, united hearts and hands. 

Fraternally unite with other lands. 

May God His help and blessing add to this; 

For all the glory of the world is His ; 

And all our greatness and success we owe 

To Him on high who rules the world below. 

No celebration such as this — behold ! — 
The world has seen in modern times, or old. 
From pole to pole the theme through ev'ry zone, 
To ev'ry race, in ev'ry tongue is known : 
And ev'ry land and language sings its praise — 
Columbia and Columbus crown with bays ! 
From ev'ry quarter of this mundane sphere 
Flow busy streams of life, converging here, 



OR THE STORY OF THE NEW WORLD. 277 

And these Columbia welcomes, one and all- 

The Briton, and the Teuton, and the Gaul, 

The Spaniard, Greek, Italian, Portugese, 

The Russian, Turk, Swiss, Dane and Japanese, 

And all beside, whate'er their land may be— 

All come to oreet the hero of the Sea, _ 

Like Old World pilgrims to a hal owed shrme, 

Moved by a common impulse nigh divme. 

They come to glorify a glorious name. 

And trumpet to mankind agam his fame : 

And war ships join the mimic fleet of Spain- 

That reproduces that which crossed the mau.- 

q^hree caravels— the famous fleet of yore— 

When first Columbus found the New World shore- 

Santa Maria, Fhita, Nina— h^i\\ 

Three stauncher vessels never braved a gale. 

Let bunting deck their spars, and cannon roar, 

And trumpets blare as at San Salvador.* 

All nations, languages, religions meet 

To celebrate Columbus and his fleet. 

From north and south and east and west they come, 

As if with tinkling cymbals, fife and drum 

They come with products of then varied climes- 

As if with clanging bells and ringmg chimes ; 

And Europe, Asia, Africa combine— 

(Australia and Canada in line) — 

With North and South America, to twine 

Fresh laurel wreaths for him the Pioneer— 

The Father of this Western Hemisphere. 

* These three vessels, composing the fleet of Columbus on 
. 1 ■ first ovagrto 'he New World, have been rebuilt m Spam, 

the United States. 



278 THE SONG OF AMERICA AND COLUMBUS. 

What though before him Norsemen sailed the seas, 

And wooed along New England shores the breeze ? 

They left no record of their deeds behind, 

Save what in Iceland's sagas old we find. 

In prehistoric darkness it was lost. 

As though their ships had ne'er the ocean crossed. 

They left no impress on the Western World. 

But when Columbus here his sails had furled, 

The New World and the Old became as one, 

And ever since has Progress speeded on. 

The Sword and Cross the savage world o'ercame, 

And left Columbus with unrivalled fame — 

The greatest hero that the Sea has known. 

He gave the New World not to Spain alone. 

But to the world and civilized mankind. 

Where else can we a deed so mighty find ? 

Or one whose sequel is so grand and vast ? 

Time on Columbus can but glory cast, 

For with its flight the New World grander grows, 

And more and more its debt — to him — it shows. 

Great Navigator of the Western Sea, 

The New World gladly gives its praise to thee. 

Thou deathless hero of San Salvador, 

Who to the Old World gave the New of yore ! 

And may our plaudits reach thee in the skies, — 

Immortal King of Ocean Enterprise, — 

For soul like thine — Columbus ! — never dies. 



A Strange Story of Adventure. 

A MARVELLOUS COINCIDENCE; OR A CHAIN OF MIS- 
ADVENTURES AND MYSTERIES. 

By KI]VAHAi\ CORiWVALLIS. 



Paper, 50 Cents. For Sale Every v\here, and mailed free on receipt of 
price. The Daily Investigator Office, 6G Broadway, New York. 



" A story which is decidedly out of the beaten track. Critics must 
agree with one accord that it gives them, in the unravelling of the 
plot, several touches of the unanticipated. Mrs. Zachary Fenwick in 
a quiet Massachusetts village has a series of experiences calculated 
to excite the envy of any dreauiing maiden who lias longed to 
become the central figure in a novel. The adventui-es and reappear- 
ances of the two missing boys are told in an original and graphic 
way which furnishes entertaining reading for lovers of fiction." 
— Kansas City Journal. 

" It is composed of lost children, shipwrecks. South Sea islands, 
mining camps and the like stirring events and odd places. It is 
impossilile enough for Jules Verne, but at the same time is quite 
readable." — Town Topics, N. Y. 

"A pleasing American novel. It is a chain of misadventures and 
mysteries from first to last, and it engrosses the attention of the 
reader from the beginning until the verj- last page has been perused." 
— San Francisco Call. 

" It has some fun, some wisdom and a fair share of incident, and 
one strong situation."— CoHimerci'aZ Advertiser, N. Y. 

"A 'Marvellous Coincidence,' is intheauthor's happiest vein. It is 
a story of American life in which the necessary love theme is skil- 
fully blended with incident of stirring adventure. Treating essen- 
tially of American life Mr. Cornwallis has applied his moral to certain 
national traits in its character with impressive strength and force." 
—Home Journal, N. Y. 



Published in the " Seaside Library," price 30 cents, and in " LovelKs 
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ADRIFT WITH A VENGKANCE : A Story of Love 
and Adventure. By Kinahan Cornwallis, Author of "Pilgrims of 
Fashion," a novel; ■" Royalty in the New World; (jr, the Prince of 
Wales in America," with a steel-plate porti-ait of the Prince, a 
narrative of travels; " A Panorama of the New World," a narrative 
of travel in North and South America and Australia. (2 vols.); 
" Howard Plunkett," a novel. (3 vols.); " Wreck and Ruin, or, 
Glimpses of Modern Society," a novel, (3 vols.); "My Life and 
Adventures," (3 vols.); "Two Journeys to Japan," (3 vols.), illus- 
trated by the author; "The New El Dorado; or. British Columbia." 
a narrative of travel, illustrated; " Poems of Travel," &c., &c. Most 
of these works were originally published in London between 185S 
and 1863. 



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